HB 953 Griffith, Dave
HB 953 -- SPORTS WAGERING
SPONSOR: Griffith
This bill increases the excursion boat licensee fee paid for each person embarking on an excursion gambling boat from $2 to $3.56 and provides $1.56 of such fee shall be deposited into the Gaming Commission Fund, $1.50 shall be paid directly to the home dock city or county, and $0.50 shall be deposited into the Steam Boat Legacy Fund that shall be levied and collected until June 30, 2040, after which this $0.50 fee portion shall be divided equally between the home dock city or county and the Commission. Subject to appropriation, $0.06 of the fee deposited into the Gaming Commission Fund may be deposited into the Compulsive Gamblers Fund. These fees shall be subject to annual adjustment based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index.
This bill establishes the "Steam Boat Legacy Fund" with moneys in the Fund to be used for the construction, maintenance, and operation of the National Steamboat Museum, as described in the bill.
This bill enacts new provisions relating to sports wagering. This bill modifies the definition of "games of skill" to now include "sports wagering" and the definition of "gambling game" to no longer exclude gambling on sporting events in Section 313.800, RSMo. Adjusted gross receipts for sports wagering shall be subject to the same 21% tax gambling games in excursion gambling boats are currently subject to.
This bill provides a certificate holder may offer sports wagering in the state either in person at a licensed facility, defined as an excursion gambling boat, or over the Internet via an interactive sports wagering platform for persons physically located within the state, to persons 21 years old or older.
The Gaming Commission shall adopt rules to implement the provisions of this bill. These rules shall include standards governing sports wagering conduct, standards for offering sports wagering over the Internet, management of book keeping and financial records, and standards for detection and prevention of compulsive gambling.
This bill provides that the Commission may promulgate rules for an individual to self-exclude from sports wagering as is currently provided for excursion gambling boats. The winnings of any person who has been self-excluded shall be forfeited and credited to the Compulsive Gamblers Fund. This bill mandates the establishment of programs to provide for treatment, prevention, recovery, and education for people affected by compulsive gambling, as described in the bill. The Commission, in cooperation with the Department of Mental Health, shall develop an annual research report assessing the social and economic effects of gambling in the state and submit this report to the Governor, President Pro Tem of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Certificate holders must make commercially reasonable efforts to designate an area within the licensed facility for sports wagering to be conducted, ensure the security and integrity of sports wagers, ensure the certificate holder's surveillance system covers all areas of the facility in which sports wagering is conducted, allow the Commission be present in all areas of the facility where sports wagering is conducted, ensure maximum security of the counting and storage of sports wagering revenues, and establish house rules specifying wagering limitations and standards.
Certificate holders shall employ commercially reasonable methods to prohibit the certificate holder and their directors, officers, and employees, and any relatives living in the same household, from placing sports wagers with the certificate holder, prohibit individuals with access to confidential information held by the certificate holder from placing sports wagers, prevent the sharing of confidential information, and prohibit the placing of sports wagers by proxies or agents.
Sports wagering may be conducted with negotiable currency, and by any other means approved by the Commission. A certificate holder shall determine the minimum and maximum wagers in sports wagering that may be conducted in the licensed facility. Subject to approval by the Commission, a certificate holder may contract with a third party to conduct sports wagering in an area within the certificate holder's licensed facility. A certificate holder may lay off one or more sports wagers pursuant to rules promulgated by the Commission.
The Commission shall test new sports wagering devices and new forms, variations, or composites of sports wagering. The Commission may enter into agreements with other jurisdictions to facilitate, administer, and regulate multi-jurisdictional sports betting by sports betting operators.
An applicant who wishes to offer sports wagering under the provisions of this bill or an applicant for an interactive sports wagering platform license shall submit an application to the Commission in the manner and form as described in the bill with an initial application fee of $50,000.
This bill creates the "Sports Wagering Fund". A licensed interactive sports wagering platform provider shall pay an annual license renewal fee of $20,000 and a certificate holder shall pay to the commission an annual administrative fee of $20,000 dollars as well as a fee of $10,000 every five years to cover the costs of a full reinvestigation of the certificate holder. Revenues received pursuant to these fees shall be deposited into the Sports Wagering Fund. Additionally, at least once per calendar quarter, a sports wagering operator shall remit to the Commission an administrative fee of 1% of the gross amount wagered on its sporting events during the previous calendar quarter to be deposited into the Steam Boat Legacy Fund.
All documents, reports, and data submitted by an interactive sports wagering platform provider to the Commission containing personal or proprietary information, trade secrets, or financial information shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed unless required by court order or as otherwise provided in the bill.
The Commission shall adopt rules and regulations for a sports wagering self-exclusion program and for the advertisement of sports wagering. The bill lists individuals prohibited from engaging in sports wagering, including any person whose participation may undermine the integrity of the betting or sports event and persons identified by any lists provided by the Commission.
The Commission and certificate holders shall cooperate with investigations conducted by law enforcement agencies. A certificate holder must report to the Commission information related to criminal or disciplinary proceedings commenced against the certificate holder, bets or wagers placed in violation of law, abnormal wagering activities, and any other conduct that corrupts the wagering outcome of a sporting event or events for purposes of financial gain.
A certificate holder shall maintain for a period of at least three years information on wagers made that exceed $10,000 in a 24 hour period, as described in the bill. A certificate holder shall also maintain for a period of at least three years information on all bets and wagers placed through an interactive sports wagering platform, as described in the bill. The certificate holder must make such information available to the Commission upon request or pursuant to a court order.
A sports governing body may notify the Commission that it desires to restrict sports wagering on its sporting events by providing notice in the form and manner as required by the Commission.
All sports wagers placed under the provisions of this bill shall be deemed to be initiated, received, and otherwise made on the property of an excursion gambling boat in this state. Consistent with provisions of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, the intermediate routing of electronic data relating to lawful intrastate sports wagers authorized pursuant to this bill shall not determine the location or locations in which such wager is initiated, received, or otherwise made.
Any remote person placing a bet or wager shall be considered as having entered a casino, as described in Section 313.820, upon that person's first bet or wager. The person may place as many bets or wagers as such person wishes during the ensuing two-hour period. Any bets or wagers placed during any subsequent two-hour period shall be considered as part of a separate admission to the casino for purposes of assessing the entry fees provided for in Section 313.820.
This bill is similar to HB 2752 (2022).