Missouri fans still missing out on sports betting as March Madness begins
By Harry Loomis
As March Madness begins and many gamble on their favorite teams, Missouri fans are once again unable to get in on the action.
Between major events like March Madness, the Super Bowl and the Masters, it’s hard to estimate just how much revenue is missing out on, as St. Joseph residents have to travel to Kansas to bet legally.
“It’s got to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars,” said state Rep. Dean VanSchoiack. “We can go across the river and go to Kansas and place bets. Everybody along the western side of Missouri can go to Kansas or Oklahoma and place bets. On the eastern side, they go all about Kentucky and Tennessee and place bets.”
This issue has been debated for years on the house floor.
“We’ve had it since I’ve been in the House and it’s always been died in the Senate,” VanSchoiack said. “And it looks like that’s what the situation probably will be again this year.”
Fans have more-or-less grown accustomed to traveling over the Missouri River to put their money down. However, another major missed opportunity could arrive in two years if things don’t change in Missouri.
“With the (World Cup) soccer tournament coming in 2026 to the Kansas City area being the central location of those tournaments, it will be huge for Missouri to have legalized sports betting for those games and all the other games that take place as well,” VanSchoiack said.
