The state of Missouri is one of 12 states where sports betting is still illegal. A proposed bill wants to make sports betting legal in a licensed facility or online. The future of that bill is uncertain. Meanwhile, in the neighboring state of Kansas, sports betting continues to thrive.
A newly renovated sportsbook opened at Hollywood Casino on Wednesday. But a new pre-filed bill modifies the definition of gambling in Missouri to include sports wagering.
It also makes it an annual requirement for $1 million to be allocated to the Compulsive Gamblers Fund.
The stakes are high for sports betting in the state of Kansas. The activity became legal in the state in September 2022, and its first year generated $20 million. In all of 2023, Kansas generated more than $40 million via sports gambling.
