Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected an emergency request that would’ve allowed the state’s sports betting market to launch around June.
As a result of Hoskins’s decision, sports betting in Missouri will likely miss the start of the NFL season.
The decision is the latest chapter in a lengthy and often frustrating struggle to get sports wagering off the ground in the Show Me State.
Legal definition for ’emergency’ the issue
Missouri’s sports betting laws were submitted for approval under the state’s “emergency rule powers,” which expedite a piece of legislation under certain circumstances. Specifically, the rule states that a bill can be made only if the state agency overseeing the process:
“Finds that an immediate danger to the public health, safety or welfare requires emergency action or the rule is necessary to preserve a compelling governmental interest that requires an early effective date as permitted pursuant to this section.”
The Missouri general public isn’t in immediate danger because the bill hasn’t been made law nor is the Dec. 1 deadline in jeopardy, Hoskins said.
When could Missouri sports betting launch?
With an early summer launch out of the question, Missouri’s sports wagering debut will have to take place before the state’s Dec. 1 constitutional deadline.
Hoskins told the Republic Monitor he believes the launch can happen well before the deadline, possibly by the end of September.
“The standard rulemaking process is more than capable of achieving the desired outcome within the necessary time frame,” Hoskins told the publication. “Under the proper procedure, the proposed rules could be effective by Sept. 30, 2025 — well ahead of the Dec. 1 deadline.
“This confirms that there is no legitimate justification for bypassing the standard rulemaking process, which is designed to give the public the chance to weigh in on decisions that affect them.”
