Repeals the tax imposed on the sale of bingo cards
HB 1669 repeals two existing sections of Missouri law and replaces them with a revised section governing licensing and regulation of bingo equipment and supplies manufacturers, suppliers, and hall providers. The bill keeps in place the requirement that anyone manufacturing, selling, leasing, or distributing bingo equipment or supplies must hold the appropriate Missouri license, and it preserves the Missouri Gaming Commission’s authority to investigate applicants, including fingerprint-based criminal history checks through the State Highway Patrol and the FBI when warranted.
The bill also sets or restates application and renewal fee caps for supplier, manufacturer, and hall provider licenses, requires licensees to maintain business records for at least three years, and authorizes the commission to require bonds from suppliers. It includes procedures for handling delinquent payments between organizations, suppliers, and manufacturers, including cash-only restrictions after notice to the commission. The bill further provides that license fees are deposited into the gaming commission fund.
A major substantive change is the removal of the tax on bingo cards and pull-tab cards. The bill deletes the existing provisions that imposed a tax on bingo cards and pull-tab cards and credited those revenues to the bingo proceeds for education fund. In place of those tax provisions, the bill leaves only product-marking and payout requirements for pull-tab cards, such as displaying the sale amount and ensuring a minimum return to purchasers.
The bill’s impact on state law is to eliminate a dedicated bingo-card and pull-tab-card tax while preserving the broader regulatory framework for bingo suppliers and manufacturers. It would reduce the tax burden on bingo-related sales and remove the associated revenue stream to the bingo proceeds for education fund, while continuing state oversight through the Missouri Gaming Commission and criminal background screening for license applicants.
The overall sentiment reflected in the bill materials is neutral and administrative rather than controversial, with no recorded committee debate or votes provided. The caption and text suggest a technical tax repeal and regulatory cleanup measure. The main point of potential contention is fiscal: the bill would end a revenue source for education-related bingo proceeds, which could concern stakeholders who rely on that funding, while bingo suppliers and organizations would likely favor the tax repeal and simplified compliance.
HB 1669 would repeal Missouri’s existing taxes on bingo cards and pull-tab cards by deleting sections 313.055 and 313.057 and reenacting a revised licensing section for bingo equipment and supplies manufacturers, suppliers, and hall providers. It preserves the Missouri Gaming Commission’s licensing authority, applicant background checks, fee-setting authority within stated caps, recordkeeping requirements, and delinquency procedures, but removes the statutory tax provisions that previously directed bingo-card and pull-tab-card tax revenue to the bingo proceeds for education fund. The bill would therefore reduce state-imposed bingo-related tax obligations while maintaining regulatory oversight of the bingo supply industry.
No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no documented floor or committee sentiment to measure directly. Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears to be a technical and fiscal policy change rather than a highly partisan or ideologically charged proposal. The likely sentiment is mixed: bingo suppliers and some licensees would likely support the tax repeal, while education funding stakeholders could oppose the loss of revenue.
The primary point of contention is the repeal of the bingo-card and pull-tab-card tax and the resulting loss of revenue that had been credited to the bingo proceeds for education fund. Supporters would likely emphasize reduced costs and simpler compliance for bingo suppliers and organizations, while opponents may focus on the fiscal impact on education-related funding. A secondary issue is that the bill retains and in some places reinforces regulatory controls, including criminal history checks, fees, and commission oversight, which could be of concern to industry participants even as the tax is removed.