SportsHandle and friends deliver another round-up of the week’s big developments in US sports betting.

Missouri Lawmaker Dreams Of Legal ‘Sports Betting Utopia,’ Prepared To Negotiate

Missouri State Representative Dan Shaul really wants legal sports betting in his state. In a perfect world, that would mean mobile and retail sports betting in a “trustworthy” environment, and he says just about anything in his HB 2088, which was sent to the House floor last week, is open to negotiation.

“I dream of a sports betting utopia where people can have fair, trustworthy bets that are regulated, so if my mom bets on what commercial is best liked during the Super Bowl, she is treated fairly,” he told Sports Handle Monday. “I think mobile betting is a must.”

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Is Mississippi Heading Toward Adding Mobile Sports Betting?

Mississippi was the third state in which operators launched legal sportsbooks in brick-and-mortar form after the May 2018 fall of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. And for the second straight year, a lawmaker is asking his peers to consider allowing people to place bets on mobile devices rather than just in retail locations.

Democratic Representative Cedric Burnett filed HB 172 in January, and it is one of five gaming bills that have been referred to the House Gaming Committee and are awaiting a hearing. Two more similar bills were introduced regarding mobile sports wagering late Friday. Burnett’s bill would allow any of the state’s 24 bricks-and-mortar casinos to launch state-wide mobile sports betting and is similar to the state’s current retail sports betting law with one key exception — the tax rate for mobile would be lower than the 8% state tax on bricks-and-mortar sports betting.

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As Sports Betting Talks With Seminoles Heat Up, Deal Could Bring Numerous Complications

The timeline for the rollout of legalized sports wagering in Florida could be accelerated if political leaders are able to hammer out an agreement with the Seminole Tribe of Florida on a new, highly lucrative gaming compact.

With the Florida legislature set to close March 13, there are indications that the Seminoles could resume making contributions to the state’s general revenue fund if a deal can be reached. The Seminole Tribe of Florida ceased making payments to the fund after a revenue-sharing agreement with the state expired last May.

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Rush Street Latest To Apply For Involvement In Upcoming Illinois Sports Betting

The list of applicants for a Management Services Provider License for sports betting in Illinois grew to three Tuesday when the Illinois Gaming Board listed Rush Street Interactive among them on its official website.

Rush Street Interactive joins Betfair Interactive and Penn Sports Interactive as prospective Management Services Provider licensees as the Land of Lincoln continues to take small steps in launching sports betting. It has been legal since Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a massive gaming expansion bill into law last June, but the IGB has been deliberate in going through the steps and only just moved the Phase 2 rules into the state registry on Friday to begin the 45-day public commentary on that package.

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