Missouri lawmakers are weighing up an attempt to legalise sports betting within the state.

There are currently six states in the US which have legalised sports betting and Missouri still has ambitions to be one of the next.

At present, Missouri law states revenue from casino gambling must be spent on educational programmes. Sports betting would be operated within the casinos, and so the revenue would by law would be required to go towards schools.

According to Republican Senator Denny Hoskins, legalised sports betting could bring between $18m and $40m to the state in annual revenue.

A previous bill tabled earlier this year included an integrity fee, in an attempt to prevent any increased expenses which might result from sports betting.

The fee divided opinion and it is yet to be decided whether this would be included within Missouri’s potential second effort at legalising sports betting.

Republican Rep. Dean Plocher, who sponsored the legalisation of sports betting the first time around, said: “I certainly anticipate it being out there for discussion before the House and the Senate.”