Missourians won’t get a chance to place sports bets right away.
Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected speeding up the rules process to begin sports betting. Hoskins declined emergency rules from the Missouri Gaming Commission aimed at laying the groundwork for legal sports betting. Missourians narrowly approved a ballot item authorizing people to bet on sports with their phones, at stadiums or at casinos last year.
“The emergency rules were rejected due to lack of emergency, the gaming rules will proceed through standard rulemaking processes,” said Hoskins spokeswoman Rachael Dunn.
Had Hoskins approved the rules, they would have gone into effect within 10 days. Missouri Gaming Commission chairman Jan Zimmerman had said that her agency wanted to jumpstart sports betting by the summer.
The process to approve rules usually takes a few months — meaning sports betting will likely be delayed until the fall.
Spokespeople for the Missouri Gaming Commission and Gov. Mike Kehoe did not immediately return requests for comment on Hoskins’ move.
When he was a member of the Missouri Senate, Hoskins was a major obstacle to getting sports betting through the legislature. He wanted to pair any sports betting legalization effort to also legalizing video gambling machines often found in gas stations or fraternal organizations.
Hoskins is responsible for administering rules as secretary of state, and has the power to reject proposed emergency rules. Hoskins’ predecessor, Jay Ashcroft, rejected emergency rules aimed at curbing hemp-based products.
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