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Filibuster Snuffs Out Missouri's Regulated Sports Betting Pursuit
By Jeff Osienya Apr 30, 2022 LegalityThe efforts to pass a sports betting bill in the Missouri Senate were stalled by a filibuster following a VLTs contention. Legislators have two weeks to come to a compromise or wait until next year’s legislative sessions.Once again, Missouri’s regulated sports betting efforts have been served a cold dish of disappointment after a bill to regulate the activity has failed flat. The latest drawback came due to very spirited efforts by Senator Denny Hoskins, the Show-Me State’s representative for District 21, who tried and eventually did succeed in preventing the Senate from voting on the bill.
It appears that the esteemed Senator did himself proud, going to Twitter soon after the sitting to gloat on his latest round of victory. It’s worth pointing out that Senator Hoskins has taken issue with the sports betting bill right from the time a contentious amendment was introduced. But why did the passionate legislator shoot down the hopes and dreams of sports betting fans in the state? To further understand the Senator’s grievances let’s look at how far the bill has come, up to its latest stumbling block.
A Sports Betting Die Hard Kills Any Chances for Progress
Hoskins had all along advocated for the sports betting bill. It is somewhat ironic that one of the most prominent voices for sports betting over the years would turn out to be the one person to prevent it from coming to fruition. Senator Hoskins drastically changed his stance during the amendment stage of the bill because a clause that would introduce Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) was removed.
The removal of this clause made Hoskins declare war on the bill, threatening to filibuster it. A threat that he undoubtedly made good of. In a seriously spirited show, the Senator kept up the fight for close to four hours, often referring to his self-proclaimed “filibuster book.” By 9.30 pm, the almost empty Senate chambers had to close business because of the legislative rules.
Hoskins has previously been quoted saying that the bill would never go through without the VLT clause reintroduction. “You are not going to have one without the other,” Additionally, Sen. Karla May, the Senate’s minority caucus chairperson, joined Hoskins’ filibuster saying:
Quote“Either you’re voting for moderate expansion of gaming in the state, or you’re not. There is no mirror where we’re going to have one without the other. There is no mirror where you’re going to ask me to stand down on what I want while you get what you want. Like I said, that dog don’t hunt. Just stop. It’s an intellectual insult.”
The VLT Tussle in The Show-Me State
Video Lottery Terminals are electronic gaming machines that you will often find in Missouri establishments like bars and restaurants. The operations of VLTs have long been a contentious issue. But what are they? How do the gambling-legal US states classify them? Do states consider them in the same category as slot machines or not? Well, the answer is that it all depends on the specific state roles really and how they are framed.
This debate is not new to the gambling scene, and Missouri is just the latest ground for battle in the VLT wrangle. In states where they work, there usually has to be a set of features and restrictions as safeguards attached to the VLT machines to act as security measures as opposed to how you’d operate an ordinary slot machine.
Moreover, the VLT debate also saw another type of machine called the Grey machine come to light. The Grey machines are almost identical to VLT machines, but they have some structural and operational differences. One thing is for sure, though, the commercial casinos don’t like both VLT and Grey machines in any state whatsoever as they are a competition that will draw away the revenue that they collect from slot machines.
During his arguments for the inclusion of VLT machines in the sports betting bill, Senator Hoskins accused his fellow Senator Mike Bernskoetter of having an agenda driven by the casinos – which he claimed had sent Senator Bernskoetter. This accusation by Senator Hoskins led to a fierce debate between him and Mr. Bernskoetter, which further ate away the hours and worked in Senator Hoskins’ favor.
Other Components of Missouri’s Failed Sports Betting Bill
Of course, there was a lot the bill had to offer, even though the focus was firmly placed on the VLT clause. There was an 8% tax recommendation that was always going to attract some form of argument. Some legislators had wanted the tax percentage to be moved upwards to the 21% figure. That, however, wasn’t expected to stall Missouri’s sports betting bill, as legislators would reach a compromise on a favorable figure between 8% and 21%.
On top of that, the bill proposed 39 separate sportsbook skins. These skins would be spread across the state’s 13 casinos and 6 professional teams. The specific allocation would guarantee one retail skin and up to three online skins for casinos. As for professional teams, they would be allocated one online skin. HB2502, which is the sports betting bill, also proposed a $100,000 licensing fee pegged on Sportsbooks and a $150,000 fee placed on mobile operators to be allowed to operate in the Show-Me state.
Is There Any Chance for Missouri to Get Back on the Sports Betting Track?
There is no clear answer to the question as to when Missouri will legalize sports betting. The contentious VLT clause does not look to have a forthcoming solution with the legislative process set to end on May 13th, when the house will adjourn for the year. This means the legislators have roughly a fortnight to iron out their differences.
Even so, should a compromise be reached in the VLT clause, there are no assurances that all parties will readily accept the alternative. Meanwhile, it seems that the standoff will persist with Hoskins armed with 153 amendments to the bill citing the millions in tax revenue that will be lost if 5,000 VLTs aren’t legalized. This, no doubt, is another tactic to derail its progress.
Should no feasible solution be found before May 13th (which is roughly two weeks away), Missouri will miss yet another golden opportunity to pass the sports betting bill, at least in the short term. This, however, doesn’t mean that the prospect of legal sports betting is entirely dead. There is still a possibility of crafting other bills and perhaps changing the wording to become more acceptable in the future. In the meantime, it remains to be seen whether the VLT issue will still be a hindering block by May 13th.
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