SS#3/SCS/SB 44 - This act modifies provisions relating to gaming.SPORTS WAGERING
This act authorizes sports wagering, and modifies the definition of "gambling game" to include sports wagering.
Sports wagering shall only be authorized to be conducted on an excursion gambling boat or over the internet to persons physically located in this state. Such licensed facilities shall apply to the Missouri Gaming Commission for authorization to conduct sports wagering, and shall pay an application fee of $25,000. If granted a certificate of authority, a certificate holder shall be authorized to conduct sports wagering in a licensed facility or through an interactive sports wagering platform, as defined in the act. (Section 313.1006)
Certificate holders shall designate an area within the licensed facility for conducting sports wagering. (Section 313.1008)
Certificate holders shall ensure that the certificate holder's surveillance system covers all areas in which sports wagering is conducted, allow the Commission to be present through gaming agents during the hours sports wagering is conducted, ensure that individuals under the age of 21 are not making sports wagers, provide certain information to sports wagering patrons, and post a sign indicating the minimum and maximum amounts that may be wagered. (Section 313.1004)
Subject to the approval of the Commission, a certificate holder may contract with a third party to conduct sports wagering at the certificate holder's licensed facility. (Section 313.1008)
An interactive sports wagering platform, as defined in the act, may apply to the Commission for authority to offer sports wagering on behalf of a certificate holder. Such interactive sports wagering platform shall submit an application fee of $25,000. Each year after licensure, an interactive sports wagering platform shall submit an annual license renewal fee of $50,000. (Section 313.1010)
The Commission shall promulgate rules for a sports wagering self-exclusion program, as described in the act. The Commission shall also promulgate rules to ensure that advertisements for sports wagering do not target minors or other persons who are ineligible to place wagers, problem gamblers, or other vulnerable persons. (Section 313.1012)
The Commission shall conduct background checks on individuals seeking licenses under the act. Such background checks shall include a search for criminal history and any charges or convictions involving corruption or manipulation of sporting events.
A sports governing body may notify the Commission that it desires to restrict, limit, or exclude sports wagers, as defined in the act, on its sporting events, including restrictions on sources of data and associated video upon which an operator may rely in offering and paying wagers. The Commission may deny such request if it determines that it is arbitrary and capricious. Except in certain emergency situations, such restrictions shall not apply to tier one sports wagers on non-exhibition games or events of professional sports organizations, as defined in the act.
Within thirty days of a sports governing body notifying the Commission of its desire to supply official league data to certificate holders for determining the results of tier two wagers, as defined in the act, certificate holders shall only use official league data to determine the results of such wagers.
The Commission and certificate holders shall cooperate with investigations conducted by law enforcement agencies. (Section 313.1014)
A certificate holder shall maintain records of all bets and wagers placed through an interactive sports wagering platform, and all bets and wagers placed in person that exceed $10,000 in a 24-hour period, including personally identifiable information of the bettor, the amount and type of bet, the time the bet was placed, the location of the bet, the outcome of the bet, and records of abnormal betting activity for at least three years after the sporting event occurs. (Section 313.1016)
Any person who knowingly violates any procedure implemented under this act shall be liable for a civil penalty of not more than $5,000 for each violation, not to exceed $50,000 for violations arising out of the same transaction or occurrence. Such person shall also be subject to actions and penalties provided under current law, provided that any such financial penalties shall not exceed those provided for in the act.
Any person who places, or causes to be placed, a bet or wager on the basis of non-public information relating to that bet or wager, or who knowingly engages in, facilitates, or conceals conduct that intends to improperly influence a betting outcome of a sporting event for purposes of financial gain in connection with betting or wagering on a sporting event shall be guilty of a Class E felony. (Section 313.1018)
Within thirty days of the end of each calendar quarter, a certificate holder shall remit to the Commission a royalty fee of 0.25% of the amount wagered on sporting events conducted during the previous calendar quarter by sports governing bodies that have registered with the Commission, as described in the act. No later than April 30 of each year, a registered sports governing body may submit a request for disbursement of funds remitted by certificate holders in the previous calendar year. The Commission shall disburse the funds to the registered sports governing body in pro rata proportion of the total amount wagered on its sporting events. Any unclaimed royalty fees shall be distributed to certificate holders that timely remitted such fees. (Section 313.1019)
Within thirty days of the end of each calendar quarter, a certificate holder shall remit to the Commission a royalty fee of 0.25% of the amount wagered on sporting events involving at least one NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision football team or at least one NCAA Division I basketball team. No later than April 30 of each year, the Commission shall disburse such royalty fees evenly among the public universities in this state that sponsor an NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision football team or NCAA Division I basketball team. The royalty fees received by public universities under this act shall be used solely for athletics compliance. (Section 313.1020)
A tax is imposed at a rate of 9.0% on the adjusted gross receipts received from sports wagering conducted by a certificate holder. Such tax shall be remitted by the last business day of each month. Revenues received from the tax shall be deposited in the Gaming Proceeds for Education Fund.
A certificate holder shall also pay to the Commission an annual administrative fee of $50,000. In addition to such administrative fee, a certificate holder shall pay to the Commission a fee of $10,000 every five years for a reinvestigation of the certificate holder. Such fees shall be deposited in the Gaming Commission Fund. (Section 313.1021)
All sports wagers placed under this act shall be deemed to be initiated, received, and otherwise made on the property of an excursion gambling boat in this state. The intermediate routing of electronic data shall not determine the location or locations in which such wager is initiated, received, or otherwise made. (Section 313.1022)
These provisions are substantially similar SB 222 (2019), HB 859 (2019), HCS/HB 119 (2019), SB 1009 (2018), HB 2406 (2018), and to provisions contained in SB 187 (2019) and SCS/SBs 327 & 43 (2019), and are similar to HB 2320 (2018), and to provisions contained in SB 195 (2019).
ILLEGAL GAMBLING
Current law allows the Missouri Gaming Commission to enter into agreements with various federal, state, and local agencies to carry out the duties of the Commission. This act also allows the Commission to enter into agreements with such agencies for investigations relating to and the enforcement of criminal provisions relating to illegal gambling.
This act requires the Gaming Commission to establish a telephone contact number, which shall be prominently displayed on the Commission's website, to receive reports of suspected illegal gambling activity. The Commission shall initiate an investigation upon receiving such report. If the Commission finds sufficient evidence of illegal gambling, it shall refer such violation to the prosecuting attorney. Upon the request of the prosecuting attorney, the Attorney General may aid such prosecuting attorney in prosecuting violations referred by the Commission.
Any person or establishment licensed under current law relating to gaming that is convicted of or pleads guilty to illegal gambling, and any affiliated company of such person or establishment, shall be permanently prohibited from being licensed to participate in any way in a program implementing video lottery gaming terminals should such a program be implemented in this state. (Section 313.004)
This act also allows the supervisor of liquor control to refer to the Commission any suspected illegal gambling activity being conducted on the premises of a location licensed under the Liquor Control Law. (Section 311.660)
Current law allows a sheriff, peace officer, or eight or more citizens of a county or city to bring an action in circuit court to initiate proceedings to suspend or revoke a license issued under the Liquor Control Law as a result of certain offenses committed by a licensee. This act adds permitting illegal gambling devices on the licensed premises of a licensee to such list of offenses. (Section 311.710)
This act provides that any conviction in this state for illegal gambling activity involving an illegal gambling device shall result in the automatic and permanent revocation of a license issued under the Liquor Control Law, as well as any lottery game retailer license. (Sections 311.720 and 313.255)
This act modifies the definition of "gambling device" for the purposes of provisions of law relating to the prosecution of illegal gambling. (Section 572.010)
These provisions are substantially similar to SCS/SB 431 (2019) and to provisions contained in SS#3/SCS/HB 113 (2019).
LOTTERY COMMISSION
This act allows the Lottery Commission to incur fees when accepting debit cards or other electronic payment methods for the sale of lottery game plays. (Section 313.360)
MISSOURI VIDEO LOTTERY CONTROL ACT
This act establishes the Missouri Video Lottery Control Act.
This act allows the State Lottery Commission to implement a system of video lottery game terminals and to issue licenses to video lottery game manufacturers, distributors, operators, handlers, and retailers, as defined in the act. The Commission shall not allow a single vendor or licensee to be responsible for implementing the program, nor shall it allow a single vendor or licensee to control or operate more than twenty percent of video lottery game terminals in the state after December 31, 2025. (313.429.1 and .2)
Video lottery game terminals may be placed in fraternal organizations, veterans' organizations, and truck stops, as defined in the act. (Section 313.427)
Video lottery game terminals shall be connected to a centralized computer system developed or procured by the Commission. No video lottery game terminal shall be placed in operation without first connecting to such centralized computer system.
The Commission may impose a non-refundable application fee, as described in the act. The initial license and first subsequent license renewal shall be for a period of one year. Thereafter, license renewal period shall be four years with the applicable license renewal fee paid for each year such license is renewed, as described in the act. In addition to such license fees, video lottery game operators shall pay the Commission an annual license fee of $200 for each video lottery game terminal placed in services. No license shall be issued to any person who has been convicted of a felony or crime involving illegal gambling. (Section 313.429.3 and .4)
Video lottery game operators shall pay winning tickets using a video lottery game ticket redemption terminal, which shall be located within the video lottery game retailer's establishment in direct proximity of where such video lottery games are offered. A ticket with winnings in excess of $600 shall be redeemed at a Missouri Lottery office. Video lottery game operators shall pay to the Commission thirty-two percent of any unclaimed cash prizes associated with winning tickets that have not been redeemed within 180 days of issue.
Video lottery game operators and video lottery game retailers shall enter into a written agreement for the placement of video lottery game terminals. The agreement shall specify an equal division of adjusted gross receipts between the operator and retailer after adjustments for taxes and administrative fees are made. Video lottery game operators and video lottery game retailers are prohibited from offering anything of value other than the percentage of adjusted gross receipts for the placement of video lottery terminals. Persons violating such prohibition are subject to the suspension or revocation of his or her video lottery game operator's license. (Section 313.429.7)
The cost of video lottery game terminal credits shall be $0.01, $0.05, $0.10, or $0.25, and the maximum wager played per video lottery game shall not exceed $5.00. No cash award for the maximum wager played on any individual lottery game shall exceed $1,000.
Operators shall not operate more than six terminals at one establishment. (Section 313.429.8)
A person under the age of twenty-one shall not play video lottery games, and such video lottery game terminals shall be under the supervision of a person that is at least twenty-one years of age. Video lottery game terminals shall be placed in a fully enclosed room that is continually monitored by video surveillance and where access to persons under the age of twenty-one is prohibited. Recorded video surveillance shall be made available as reasonably and specifically requested by the Commission. An operator that fails to review such video and report any known violation of law may be subject to an administrative fine not to exceed $5,000. Any operator or retailer found to have knowingly committed a violation of provisions governing the conduct of video lottery games may be subject to a fine of $5,000, the suspension of such operator's of retailer's license for up to thirty days, or, in the case of repeated violations, the revocation of such operator's or retailer's license for up to one year. (Section 313.429.9)
Video lottery game operators shall pay to the Commission thirty-six percent of the video lottery game adjusted gross receipts. The net proceeds of the sale of video lottery game tickets shall be appropriated to public elementary and secondary education and public institutions of higher education, with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), including tutoring programs for math, science, and reading skills, and workforce development programs. The Commission shall compensate the administrative costs of the city or county in which a video lottery retailer maintains an establishment in an amount equal to four percent of the video lottery game adjusted gross receipts.
The remainder of video lottery game adjusted gross receipts, after the cost of the centralized computer system and administrative costs are paid and apportioned, shall be retained by video lottery game operators and shall be split evenly between video lottery game operators and video lottery game retailers as provided under an agreement. (Section 313.429.10)
All revenues collected by the Commission from license renewal fees and any reimbursements associated with the enforcement of the act shall be appropriated for administrative expenses associated with supervising and enforcing the provisions of the act. (Section 313.429.11)
The Commission shall contract with a state law enforcement entity to assist in conducting investigations into applicants for licenses and to investigate violations of the provisions of the act. (Section 313.429.12)
The use or possession of any video gaming terminal, machine, or device capable of simulating lottery games, games of chance, or gambling games, and that is not licensed by the Lottery Commission or Gaming Commission shall be punishable under the provisions of Chapter 572 relating to illegal gambling. Any lottery vendor or licensee violating such provisions shall be guilty of a Class D felony and fined up to $10,000 per occurrence. The Commission shall suspend or revoke the license of any vendor or licensee that allows the use of any prohibited video gaming terminal. (Section 313.429.13)
Participation in the state lottery under this act shall not be construed to be a lottery or gift enterprise in violation of Article III, Section 39 of the Constitution of Missouri, and shall not constitute a valid reason for the denial or revocation of a permit to sell liquor. (Section 313.433)
This act allows a municipality or county to adopt an ordinance within one hundred eighty days of the effective date of this act prohibiting video lottery game terminals within the municipality or county. (Section 313.435)
These provisions are substantially similar to HB 423 (2019), SB 452 (2017), and to provisions contained in SCS/SBs 327 & 43 (2019) and SS/SCS/SB 767 (2018), and are similar to HB 990 (2017) and to provisions contained in SB 187 (2019).
JOSHUA NORBERG