Missourians will have to wait until later this year to legally bet on sports. This follows Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejecting proposed emergency rules which could have allowed it to begin this summer.
According to state statute, the emergency rulemaking process is reserved for situations that require “immediate action,” something Hoskins said is not necessary in this case.
“Being able to pass sports book and having people being able to bet sooner or turning some of these multi-millionaire companies into billionaire companies does not constitute an emergency, according to Missouri state law,” he told Missourinet.
Hoskins, a former Republican state senator, blocked legislative efforts to legalize sports betting. But he said he’s not against sports betting.
“I filed bills that would have legalized sports book here in the state of Missouri. However, I had about a 20% tax and much higher fees,” Hoskins explained. “My other concern has always been that there needs to be enough money coming into the state of Missouri to pay for any problem compulsive gambling that legalizing sportsbook causes. Unfortunately, I was not able to pass my version of the bill.”
Under Amendment 2, which legalizes sports betting, the initiative includes a 10% revenue tax that would benefit the state’s public schools and requires an undisclosed amount of money going towards the Compulsive Gambling Prevention Fund. Missouri voters passed the ballot measure last November with 50.05% of the vote.
Hoskins said his decision does not impact the ongoing efforts to review and update the state’s gaming policies, and collaboration with stakeholders will continue.
“I’m doing my job as far as what the duties are as the Secretary of State,” he said. “One of those duties that I take very seriously is deciding if an emergency rule is actually an emergency.”
Because of Hoskins’ move, sports betting likely won’t begin until the mandated December 1st deadline.
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