SB 567 - This act allows the Missouri Lottery Commission to offer games based on the outcomes of sporting events. (Section 313.230) This act also 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.
Certificate holders may use any data source to determine the results of sports wagers, provided the data is not obtained directly or indirectly from live event attendees or through automated computer programs. However, 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. Certificate holders shall not purchase or utilize any personal biometric data of an athlete, as defined in the act, without written permission from the athlete's exclusive bargaining representative.
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 material nonpublic 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. The term "material nonpublic information" shall include personal biometric data. (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 30th 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 30th 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)
The Commission shall establish a hotline or other method of communication that allows any person to confidentially report information about any conduct that the person believes is a violation of the provisions of this act. The Commission shall investigate all reasonable allegations and shall refer allegations that it deems credible to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
Sports wagering operators, sports governing bodies, professional sports franchises, and higher education institutions shall not discharge, demote, suspend, threaten, harass, or in any other manner discriminate against an employee because of any lawful act performed by the employee to provide information, cause information to be provided, or otherwise assist in an investigation regarding any conduct which the employee reasonably believes constitutes a violation of the provisions of this act. An employee may bring an action at law or equity for relief from a violation of this provision, as described in the act. Such action shall be commenced not later than one hundred eighty days from the later of the date on which the violation occurs or the date on which the employee became aware of the violation. (Section 313.1024)
This act is identical to provisions contained in SB 643 (2020), is substantially similar to SB 754 (2020), HB 2318 (2020), HB 2691 (2020), HB 119 (2019), SB 1009 (2018), HB 2406 (2018), and to provisions contained in HCS/HB 2088 (2020), HCS/HB 2284 (2020), SS#3/SCS/SB 44 (2019), and SB 187 (2019), and is similar to HB 2320 (2018) and to a provision contained in SB 195 (2019).
JOSH NORBERG