The sports calendar is getting busier with baseball’s spring training underway and the NBA and NHL playoffs on the horizon. However, sports bettors in Missouri won’t be able to place wagers on those events this year.
Instead, they will have to wait until fall.
Voters in the Show Me State approved sports betting in November, and the Missouri Gaming Commission sought emergency rulemaking action to begin licensing operators sooner rather than later. If passed, Missourians could’ve been betting on sports by the summer.
But last week, Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected the measure. As a result, betting sites online won’t be available until at least Sept. 30.
“The only answer we were given is that it didn’t meet the requirements under the statute,” MGC executive director Mike Leara told the Missouri Independent.
Hoskins Doesn’t See Need For Emergency Measures
A spokesperson for Hoskins said the rules were rejected because there was no emergency.
Hoskins’ office later clarified that betting could get underway before the Dec. 1 constitutional deadline without those emergency powers. With normal proceedings, operators could be licensed by the fall.
“The standard rulemaking process is more than capable of achieving the desired outcome within the necessary time frame,” Hoskins told the Independent. “In fact, under the proper procedure, the proposed rules could be effective by Sept. 30, 2025 — well ahead of the Dec. 1 deadline. This confirms that there is no legitimate justification for bypassing the standard rulemaking process, which is designed to give the public the chance to weigh in on decisions that affect them.”
Before voters approved a sports betting ballot initiative last fall, lawmakers failed to pass sports betting legislation in numerous congressional sessions. Hoskins was one of the main reasons those attempts failed.
Hoskins became the Secretary of State at the start of the year. But for the previous eight years, the Republican served in the Missouri Senate.
He believed that sports betting legalization shouldn’t come without video lottery terminal legalization attached to it. VLTs currently operate in a grey market, but Missouri casinos opposed outright legalization, claiming it infringed on their slot machine exclusivity.
Hoskins’ steadfast belief in VLT legalization was the main roadblock for any Missouri sports betting proposals. While this isn’t a full-blown roadblock, it’s one final speed bump standing in the way of the state’s sportsbook launch.
Regulators Still Plan On Meeting Deadline
Leara responded that his office would meet the Dec. 1 deadline, but not allowing for the emergency rule-making process will be tougher. Emergency rules would have gone into effect immediately, circumventing the traditional comment and revision process.
Emergency rules usually apply to issues of public health or a “compelling governmental interest that requires an early effective date.”
While Missouri is the latest to legalize sports betting, some other states are currently considering proposals, including Texas, Oklahoma, and Georgia.
Missouri is one of the handful of states without a legal sports betting market. Currently, the state is home to 13 commercial casinos, which makes up the majority of the state’s gambling revenue.
Last year, Missouri gaming revenue dropped 2% to $1.88 billion. Sports betting revenue will help raise that number and send tax revenue to the state’s school system.
