Missouri Lawmaker Files Wagering Bill During Special Session

Missouri lawmakers reconvened Wednesday for the start of a series of veto, extraordinary, and technical sessions. Rep. Dan Houx filed a betting bill. The bill is one of five filed and four that got first readings in the House. Twenty-two bills have been filed in Senate. It's similar to the amended version of HB 2502, which passed the house in March but didn't pass in senate. Sen. Denny Hoskins killed the bill with a filibuster.

Missouri and Kansas lawmakers are looking over the border at each other. Kansas legalized sports betting on Sept. 1. In the first week of legal betting in Kansas, 104,000 people in Missouri tried to place bets through licensed Kansas operators but were blocked by geofencing software.

Missouri's governor called an extraordinary session to consider an income tax break and tax credits related to agriculture. The session began Wednesday and will reconvene next Wednesday. Houx filed a bill that has nothing to do with the reason for the special session. It's possible he filed it in response to the Kansas launch and as a signal to Missouri lawmakers that the issue is still pending.