For eight years, I served as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives, along the way being chosen by my colleagues to serve as Majority Leader and eventually, as Speaker of the House. During my time in public service, I fought tirelessly to identify and pass pro-growth policies that encouraged investment in Missouri, attracted the next generation of talent, and grew economic opportunities for all Missourians.
Right now, the Missouri General Assembly has an opportunity to pass legislation that achieves each one of these goals. Sports betting has existed across the country for generations and dozens of states have ended sports betting prohibitions and allowed citizens of their states the freedom to participate in a safe and consumer protected legal sports wagering system. As of today, more than two-thirds of states allow legal sports betting, including our neighbors in Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, Arkansas, Tennessee, Nebraska and, as of last week, Kentucky.
To make matters worse, with more than two million Missourians living in the City and County of St. Louis, and the Counties of Jackson and St. Charles, it is incredibly easy for Missourians to simply cross state lines and participate in legal betting markets in our neighboring states. That does not even include smaller markets like Joplin, Cape Girardeau, Hannibal and St. Joseph, all of which are situated along our border.
It has been widely reported that over Super Bowl weekend alone, there were more than 250,000 attempted sports bets by Missourians that were blocked. It has also been widely reported that, each year, thousands of Missourians travel across state lines to Kansas and Illinois to legally place their bets. I hear it constantly from my friends and colleagues: when is Missouri going to get this done? Missouri’s failure to act in a timely fashion has created huge opportunities for rival states to capture our sports betting market. And, frankly, they are taking advantage of those opportunities all too well.
Missouri can, and should, be next. While I don’t advocate for chasing revenue for revenues’ sake, the loss of nearly $30 million per year to neighboring states, simply because we do not permit sports betting, is nonsense. The income our neighbors receive from sports wagering and related food and entertainment expenses should stay here in Missouri. Sadly, by failing to act, it is headed across state lines.
As an attorney and former prosecutor, I recognize the danger that exists in illegal markets where few legal or financial protections exist. In illegal markets, bad actors thrive, and consumers are left vulnerable. In the case of sports betting, the most frequent market utilized in states without legal sports betting is offshore mobile apps. These offshore platforms offer no legal or financial recourse for consumers.
It’s time for Missouri to end the prohibition on sports betting. As Missourians, we are proud of our sports culture. By allowing us the freedom to participate in a legal and safe sports betting industry here in Missouri, we will create economic opportunity and attract significant investment talent right here in the Show-Me State. The time to act is now.
Former Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives. He is an attorney and a broadcast radio host of shows on NewsTalkSTL in St. Louis and on KWTO in Springfield.
