In short, the only legislation over the topic is the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. Drafted in the Senate in 1992, the act states “It shall be unlawful for a person to sponsor, operate, advertise, or promote, a lottery, sweepstakes, or other betting, gambling, or wagering on one or more competitive games or on one or more athletes.” The law also went on to outline the punishments for violating this new set of rules which were not being asked for. That is except for the four major sports leagues of the time, who were so concerned over the integrity of games which could be bet on, they lobbied to have it banned. One vote in the Senate and a signature from President George H.W. Bush, was all that it took to effectively shut down any conversation over the morality of sports gambling; that is until 2007.

After the dismantlement of PASPA in the United States Supreme Court, a states came out of the woodworks, all hoping to legalize their own version of sports gambling. In 2018, seven states legalized the practice, and in the four years since then, the amount of states which have chosen legalization has gone up by over five hundred percent. Since then, the mean tax rate charged by the states has stabilized at around thirteen and a half percent.The money made from sports gambling typically goes to one of three different places. In states like Arkansas, or Indiana, or Pennsylvania, the money goes to what is called a general fund. Funds, which are subject to the digression of the state, are spent however the state wishes, they are as the name would suggest, as general as you can get. Then there are states like Colorado, and Illinois, in which the money goes to a public fund. These are funds which are set up to further public works projects, such as the building of roads and schools. The last and final path that the states have taken is unquestionably the most interesting. In states like New Hampshire, and Tennessee, the funds actually go to the state’s Education Department. 

What this is really about is, grating the citizens of Missouri the choice to spend their money how they wish. The days of PASPA are over, and in six years over half the country realized the error in their ways. The Missouri House of Representatives agrees, passing the bill one hundred and eighteen to thirty five. Even though the bill continues to face difficulties in state Senate, this bill has the possibility to do incredibly things for the citizens of Missouri, with near bipartisan indifference from the citizens of the state. It’s no wonder that year after year, bills like this keep getting presented for approval. Now is the time to give the great people of Missouri, exactly what it is they deserve. In less than six years, the state has turned into a sports powerhouse, playing in three of the last four Super Bowls, as well as hosting games for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It is that kind of success, that makes the people of Missouri want now more than ever to be able to gamble on their favorite team. The House of Representatives think so, Democrats think so, Republicans think so. Legislators might say that they do but talk is cheap, and without action, without the passing of this bill, their words are meaningless. Missouri needs to pass SB63, and they need to do it fast.