STATE CAPITOL — A bill that would authorize sports betting online and on gambling river boats made progress through the Missouri Legislature Wednesday. Supporters of the bill said sports betting could bring up to $80 million in new revenue to our state.

Missouri lawmakers made another attempt at legalizing sports betting after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal law restricting most states from allowing bets on sports.

Chairman of the Missouri House Committee on General Laws Dean Plocher sponsored legislation to legalize sports betting last year and he did it again this year. Committee members continued to hear hours of testimony from various gaming groups. Plocher said it was a matter of putting the right pieces together.

Plocher said, “I think it’s important to keep the revenue in Missouri since it’s already going on. I think it’s important to keep those accountable that are engaging in sports gaming so the product is protected for Missouri citizens.”

The Missouri Gaming Commission would assume responsibility for regulating all sports betting activities and would investigate illegal betting activity. Should the bill be passed into law, it would become effective on August 28, 2019.

https://krcgtv.com/news/local/sports-betting-bill-making-progress-in-missouri-legislature