Modifies provisions relating to gaming
SB 73 would create a new statewide licensing and regulatory framework for video lottery terminals in Missouri. The bill establishes the “Child Protection and Gaming Regulation Act,” authorizes the state lottery commission to oversee video lottery gaming, and requires the commission to license manufacturers, distributors, operators, handlers, retailers, and testing laboratories. It also requires a centralized computer system to monitor terminals, sets technical standards for the machines, limits each retailer location to 12 terminals, caps wagers at $4 per play, and sets a maximum single-game prize of $1,199.
The bill also revises Missouri’s criminal gambling laws to carve out licensed video lottery gaming from the definitions and offenses in chapter 572. It would make the owning, operating, supplying, or servicing of licensed video lottery terminals not constitute advancing gambling activity, and it would exclude licensed video lottery gaming from the state’s gambling prohibitions and preemption rules. At the same time, it creates new penalties and enforcement tools for unlicensed or unlawful gaming activity, including attorney general authority, state lottery commission enforcement, and a dedicated Illegal Gaming Enforcement Fund.
A major purpose of the bill is revenue generation. SB 73 imposes a 34% adjusted gross gaming revenue tax, adds license and administrative fees, and directs revenue to education programs, the Missouri veterans commission, local governments, the compulsive gamblers fund, the state lottery fund, and enforcement entities. The bill also limits local government authority by barring municipalities and counties from imposing additional taxes, fees, or licensing requirements on video lottery gaming businesses or equipment, and by invalidating certain local ordinances that restrict video lottery terminals.
The bill’s general sentiment appears to be supportive of regulated expansion of gaming, with an emphasis on public funding, oversight, and anti-abuse safeguards. Its structure suggests an effort to present video lottery gaming as a controlled, tax-generating activity rather than unregulated gambling, while also including age restrictions, surveillance requirements, problem-gambling signage, and background checks. No committee debate or recorded votes were provided, so there is no documented public opposition or support in the supplied materials beyond the bill’s own policy framing.
The main points of contention likely concern gambling expansion, local control, and market structure. The bill preempts local regulation, restricts municipalities and counties from taxing or banning terminals for a period of time, and creates a tightly controlled licensing system that favors state oversight over local discretion. It also raises policy questions about whether video lottery terminals should be treated as lawful lottery activity or as gambling devices, and whether the revenue benefits outweigh concerns about problem gambling, neighborhood impacts, and the placement of terminals in retail establishments.
SB 73 would substantially amend Missouri gambling law by creating a new statutory scheme for video lottery terminals and by exempting licensed video lottery gaming from the state’s general gambling prohibitions. It repeals and reenacts sections of chapter 572 to redefine gambling, slot machines, and gambling devices, while also revising criminal penalties so that unlawful gambling and possession of gambling devices become E felonies. The bill also adds new sections in chapter 313 to authorize licensing, machine standards, enforcement, taxation, and local revenue sharing for video lottery gaming.
The measure would affect the Missouri Lottery Commission, the attorney general, the highway patrol, local governments, licensed gaming businesses, retailers, and players. It creates a new enforcement fund, imposes a 34% tax on adjusted gross gaming revenue, and directs portions of fees and tax revenue to education, veterans, local jurisdictions, and problem-gambling services. It also preempts most local regulation of video lottery terminals and limits the ability of cities and counties to impose taxes, fees, or bans on the activity.
Based on the bill text, the overall sentiment is pro-authorization and pro-regulation: the bill is designed to legalize and tightly control video lottery gaming while channeling revenue to public purposes. The framing emphasizes education funding, veterans’ funding, enforcement, and consumer protections such as age limits, machine standards, and centralized monitoring. Because no committee transcripts or votes were provided, there is no recorded legislative debate to indicate formal support or opposition in the supplied materials.
The most likely areas of contention are the expansion of gambling, the bill’s preemption of local authority, and the economic structure of the industry. Local governments may object to being barred from imposing their own licensing requirements, taxes, or restrictions, and the bill also invalidates certain preexisting local ordinances. Critics may also question whether the bill’s revenue promises justify broader access to gaming devices, especially given concerns about problem gambling, underage access, and the placement of terminals in retail locations. Industry structure could also be disputed because the bill tightly regulates licensing, prohibits certain cross-ownership arrangements, and limits third-party solicitation and inducements.