Illinois and Kansas may be benefiting from Missouri’s hesitation to legalize sports wagering.

There are currently six bills in the Missouri Legislature that could legalize sports wagering in Missouri — three in the House and three in the Senate.

In previous years, bills regarding sports wagering have passed in the Missouri House with bipartisan support. However, a bill in the 2022 legislative session did not pass in the Missouri Senate.

Legalized sports wagering has become more common in recent years: Illinois passed a law permitting sports wagering in June 2019 and Kansas passed a similar law in 2022. According to Forbes, there are 36 states that have made laws providing for sports wagering since 2018.