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SB 941

SB 941 - This act modifies provisions relating to gaming. ILLEGAL GAMING This act establishes the "Illegal Gaming Enforcement Fund", which shall consist of a portion of revenues generated from an administrative fee imposed on video lottery terminals authorized by the act. Moneys in the fund shall be used by the Attorney General, prosecutors, and law enforcement to investigate, enforce, charge, and prosecute illegal gaming in this state. (Section 27.180) Current law authorizes the superintendent of the Highway Patrol to enter into an agreement with the Missouri Gaming Commission to enforce laws relating to gaming. This act authorizes the superintendent to also enter into such an agreement with the Missouri Lottery Commission. (Section 43.050) The act modifies the definition of "advance gambling activity" to include conduct directed toward the creation or establishment of a gambling device. The act also provides that the term "gambling" does not include video lottery gaming authorized by the act. (Sections 572.010 and 572.100) This act provides that, for constitutionally authorized raffles, such raffles shall use tickets, a device, or a machine where a person or persons buy one or more changes from a finite number of draws for a prize. Such machine shall be certified as provided in the act. (Section 572.015) This provision is substantially similar to a provision in SB 643 (2022), SB 764 (2022), SB 906 (2022), HB 2080 (2022), and HB 2541 (2022), and is similar to a provision in SB 632 (2022), SB 1237 (2022), and HB 2910 (2022). This act establishes the "Missouri Gaming Bureau" within the Department of Public Safety. The director of the Bureau shall be a uniformed member of the Highway Patrol, and the Bureau may contract with the Missouri Gaming Commission and the Missouri Lottery Commission for criminal and regulatory investigations involving excursion gambling boats and video lottery gaming authorized by the act. Members of the Bureau shall be paid from funds designated as administrative within the State Lottery Fund. (Section 650.930) STATE LOTTERY Current law prohibits the state lottery from approving any lottery game based on the outcome of sporting events. This act repeals such prohibition, provided that the maximum ticket price shall not exceed five dollars per ticket. Additionally, the act authorizes the Lottery Commission to use an internet application to sell electronic scratcher games, draw games, and pull-tab games where a player may access such application using a personal device. (Sections 313.205 and 313.230) VIDEO LOTTERY GAMING This act establishes the Honoring Missouri Veterans and Supporting Missouri Education Act. This act allows the State Lottery Commission to implement a system of video lottery game terminals and to issue licenses to video lottery game manufacturers, distributors, operators, handlers, and retailers. The Commission shall not allow a single vendor or licensee to be responsible for implementing the program. (313.429.1) Video lottery game terminals may be placed in any video lottery game retailer's location, as such term is defined in the act. (Section 313.427) Video lottery game terminals shall be connected to a centralized computer system developed or procured by the Commission. No video lottery game terminal shall be placed in operation without first being connected to such centralized computer system. Video lottery game terminals shall meet the standards provided for in the act. (Section 313.429.2(14)) The Commission may impose a non-refundable application fee, as described in the act. The initial license shall be for a period of one year. Thereafter, the license renewal period shall be four years with the applicable license renewal fee paid for each year such license is renewed, as described in the act. In addition to such license fees, video lottery game operators shall pay the Commission an annual administrative fee of $1,000 for each video lottery game terminal placed in service. No license shall be issued to any person who has been convicted of a felony or crime involving illegal gambling. (Section 313.429.3) Video lottery game operators and video lottery game retailers shall enter into a use agreement for the placement of video lottery game terminals, as described in the act. The agreement shall specify an equal division of net terminal income after adjustments for taxes and administrative fees are made. Video lottery game operators and video lottery game retailers are prohibited from offering anything of value other than the percentage of adjusted gross receipts for the placement of video lottery terminals. (Section 313.429.4) Video lottery game operators shall pay winning tickets using a video lottery game ticket redemption terminal, which shall be located within the video lottery game retailer's establishment in direct proximity of where such video lottery games are offered. Unredeemed video lottery game tickets shall expire after 180 days of issue. (Section 313.429.8) The price of video lottery game terminal credits shall be determined by the Commission, and the maximum wager played per video lottery game shall not exceed $4.00. No cash award for the maximum wager played on any individual lottery game shall exceed one dollar less than the maximum amount allowable by federal law before tax withholding is required. (Section 313.429.10(1)) Operators shall not operate more than eight terminals at any one video lottery game retailer location. (Section 313.429.10(2)) A person under the age of twenty-one shall not play video lottery games. Video lottery game operators shall have a video surveillance system within the immediate area of the retailer's establishment where video lottery game terminals are located. (Section 313.429.11(1) and (2)) Video lottery game operators shall pay to the Commission thirty-four percent of the video lottery game adjusted gross gaming revenue. The Commission shall transfer ten percent of the adjusted gross gaming revenue tax to the cities and counties in which video lottery gaming terminals are located. (Section 313.429.12) The Commission shall procure a centralized computer system no later than 180 days following the effective date of the act, and shall establish start and operational dates as described in the act. (Section 313.431) Participation in the state lottery under this act shall not be construed to be a lottery or gift enterprise in violation of Article III, Section 39 of the Constitution of Missouri. (Section 313.433) This act allows municipalities and counties to adopt ordinances permitting or prohibiting video lottery game terminals within the municipality or the unincorporated area of the county. (Section 313.435) These provisions are identical to HCS/HB 970 (2025), are substantially similar to SB 16 (2025), SB 73 (2025), SB 112 (2025), SB 192 (2023), SB 557 (2023), SB 574 (2023), HB 699 (2023), SB 642 (2022), SB 686 (2022), SB 19 (2021), SB 319 (2021), HB 1014 (2021), SB 566 (2020), SB 43 (2019), and SB 452 (2017), and to provisions in SB 824 (2024), SB 1083 (2024), SB 1021 (2024), HB 2921 (2024), SB 1 (2023), SB 906 (2022), SS/HCS/HBs 2502 & 2556 (2022), HB 2080 (2022), SCS/SB 98 (2021), HB 915 (2021), SS#3/SCS/SB 44 (2019), and SS/SCS/SB 767 (2018), and are similar to HB 990 (2017). EXCURSION GAMBLING BOAT ADMISSION FEE Current law requires excursion gambling boat licensees to pay an admission fee of $2 per person, with $1 deposited to the Gaming Commission Fund and the remaining $1 paid to the home dock city or county. This act increases such fee to $4 per person, and allocates the additional $2 to the Missouri Veterans Commission. (Section 313.820) This act is substantially similar to HCS/HB 970 (2025). JOSH NORBERG

2026 Regular Session

SB 941 modernizes Missouri gaming by expanding video lottery operations, funding illegal-gaming enforcement, and creating a centralized VLGT framework with shared revenue and local

Re-referred S Select Committee on Gaming Committee
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 941

SB 941 (2026) — Summary of Key Provisions and Impacts

Main purpose and intent

SB 941 broadens and reorganizes Missouri’s gaming framework. It creates new enforcement structures, updates definitions and restrictions, expands authorized gaming activities (notably video lottery gaming), adjusts state lottery authority, and increases certain fees (notably excursion gambling boat admission) to fund veterans services. The bill aims to strengthen enforcement against illegal gaming, modernize regulatory oversight, and expand legal gaming opportunities under state supervision.

Key provisions and changes

  • Illegal gaming enforcement funding and authority

    • Establishes the “Illegal Gaming Enforcement Fund,” financed by a portion of revenues from an administrative fee on video lottery terminals.
    • Funds may be used by the Attorney General, prosecutors, and law enforcement to investigate and prosecute illegal gaming (Section 27.180).
    • Expands enforcement partnerships: the Highway Patrol superintendent may enter enforcement agreements with the Missouri Gaming Commission and, under SB 941, with the Missouri Lottery Commission as well (Section 43.050).

  • Definitions and scope of gambling

    • Expands the definition of “advance gambling activity” to include activities aimed at creating or establishing a gambling device.
    • Clarifies that “gambling” does not include video lottery gaming authorized under this act (Sections 572.010, 572.100).

  • Raffles and certification

    • For constitutionally authorized raffles, specifies that tickets or devices must draw from a finite number of draws and be certified as provided in the act (Section 572.015).

  • Missouri Gaming Bureau

    • Establishes the Missouri Gaming Bureau within the Department of Public Safety.
    • The Bureau’s director must be a uniformed Highway Patrol member.
    • The Bureau may contract with the Missouri Gaming Commission and Missouri Lottery Commission for criminal/regulatory investigations related to excursion gambling boats and video lottery gaming.
    • Funding for Bureau members comes from administrative funds within the State Lottery Fund (Section 650.930).

  • State Lottery changes

    • Repeals the prohibition on lottery games based on sporting event outcomes, with a cap: maximum ticket price cannot exceed $5.
    • Allows the Lottery Commission to use an internet-based platform to sell electronic scratcher games, draw games, and pull-tabs via personal devices (Sections 313.205, 313.230).

  • Video lottery gaming framework

    • Creates the Honoring Missouri Veterans and Supporting Missouri Education Act framework for video lottery terminals (VLGTs).
    • The Lottery Commission may license VLGT manufacturers, distributors, operators, handlers, and retailers; no single vendor may control the program.
    • VLGTs may be placed at eligible retailer locations and must connect to a centralized computer system prior to operation (Sections 313.429.1–313.429.2(14)).
    • Licensing: initial license term is 1 year; renewals are every 4 years with annual renewal fees. Operators pay a $1,000 annual administrative fee per terminal (Section 313.429.3).
    • Use agreements between operators and retailers must divide net terminal income equally after taxes/fees, with strict restrictions on other considerations (Section 313.429.4).
    • Winnings: redemptions handled by a terminal located in the retailer, with unredeemed tickets expiring after 180 days (Section 313.429.8).
    • Financials: VLGT operators pay 34% of adjusted gross gaming revenue (AGGR) to the Commission; 10% of AGGR tax revenue from VLGTs redistributed to cities/counties (Section 313.429.12).
    • Operational timeline: centralized system procurement within 180 days of the act’s effective date (Section 313.431).
    • Local option: municipalities/counties may adopt ordinances permitting or prohibiting VLGTs (Section 313.435).
    • General conformity with numerous earlier bills and similar provisions from prior years.

  • Excursion gambling boat admission fee

    • Increases per-person admission fee from $2 to $4; the additional $2 goes to the Missouri Veterans Commission (Section 313.820).

Who is affected

  • Law enforcement, prosecutors, and the Attorney General (illicit gaming enforcement funding and authority).
  • Highway Patrol and its leadership (enforcement agreements and Bureau integration).
  • Lottery Commission, VLGT operators, retailers, manufacturers, and distributors (new licensing, fees, central system, and revenue-sharing rules).
  • Municipalities and counties (local regulatory authority over VLGT placement).
  • Excursion gambling boat licensees and patrons (higher admission fees; veterans funding).
  • Veterans and education programs funded through VLGT-related revenue and the excursion boat fee increase.

Procedural and timeline notes

  • Centralized VLGT computer system required within 180 days of enactment.
  • Initial VLGT licenses: 1 year; renewals: 4 years.
  • Annual per-terminal administrative fee: $1,000.
  • Compliance and enforcement provisions align with ongoing regulatory modernization efforts, with many sections mirroring or adapting prior bills.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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