Missouri Sports Betting Bill Revived In Legislature's Special Session

Six of the eight states that border Missouri now have legal online sports betting available. Sports betting in Missouri remains illegal. The Missouri legislature is in a special session and considering several issues.

The Emerging Issues Committee is meeting on Monday, Sept. 19 at 2 p.m. EST. The bill would set up a regulated system for in-person and online sports betting in the state. It would not allow Missouri sports teams like the Kansas City Chiefs or St. Louis Blues to open retail sportsbooks at their stadiums. Instead, they would have to partner with an online sport'sbook operator licensed in Missouri.

The bill to legalize sports betting in Missouri has been stalled for four months. The bill does not include provisions related to video lottery terminals (VLTs). The legality of VLT's has also been the subject of debate in the legislature. The special session will take place in order to discuss the bill.

Legal online sports betting launched in Kansas on Sept. 1. The Kansas City metro is one of the state's strongest population centers. Kansas and Missouri have a strong sports rivalry. Missouri's session is set to end on September 22. There is a lot of time for legislators to reach a compromise on VLT governance.