Jefferson City, MO – The Missouri House has given preliminary approval to a pair of bills that would legalize sports betting.
The move comes just months after neighboring Kansas launched sports betting. Currently, six of Missouri's eight neighboring states have some form of sports wagering.
State Representative Phil Christofanelli of St. Charles says the tax rate would be 10%, although some lawmakers wanted it higher.
A final House vote in Jeff City could come Thursday.
Nationwide, legal sports betting has generated more than $3 billion in state and federal taxes since the 2018 Supreme Court ruling allowing it, according to the American Gaming Association, the industry's largest lobbying organization. It's producing about three-quarters of what eventually could be expected from a fully mature market.