Seven legislators made the Missouri gambling report that will provide clues about the state’s plans for sports wagering. Also, it will include strategies on how to stop unlicensed video lottery terminals from spreading.
State Representative Dan Shaul led several lawmakers in examining the two gambling concerns. VLTs are proliferating across the state. You can find them at convenience stores, gas stations, and other facilities.
The Missouri Gaming Commission doesn’t regulate the machines. As a result, the state doesn’t get any taxes on them. Rep. Shaul and his group want to create a bill that will regulate VLTs in the state.
Missouri Gambling Report
Pay per head experts estimate that there are around 14,000 video lottery terminals in the state. Compare that number to the total slot machines, which is 19,000 spread throughout 13 casinos in Missouri.
Aside from VLTs, the lawmakers also want to show their support to legal sports betting. Representative Wes Rogers told Bookie PPH that the state is missing out by not making the activity legal. A sports betting software company is interested in venturing into the state once the wagering on sports is legal.
He added that the state is already behind its neighbors in terms of allowing sports betting. Missouri has eight neighboring states. Among them, Iowa and Arkansas are already enjoying legal sports wagering.
Tennessee and Illinois will launch their sports betting operations in 2020. It prompted Missouri to act because they don’t want the state to be left behind. According to estimates, the state can earn as high as $100 million a year from sports betting.
Lawmakers told Bookie Pay Per Head experts that if they don’t act fast, other states will benefit from sports betting. Also, unlicensed VLTs will eat up the revenue from casinos. At present, the 13 riverboat casinos in the state employ more than 6,000 workers. Their gross gaming revenues are around $1.55 billion.
