Missouri Residents To Vote On Sports Betting In November
The Missouri Secretary of State has certified the required signatures for Missouri sports betting. The issue will reach the November ballot, and residents will vote on the market’s fate. Sports betting will be legal in the Show-Me State if the measure receives enough votes. A simple majority is required for the constitutional amendment to legalize sports betting apps and retail betting in Missouri.
Missouri Sports Betting Gets Enough Signatures
Winning for Missouri Education is the group that pushed the initiative. For the measure to qualify, the group needed to raise 170,000 signatures. The group submitted approximately 340,000 signatures. The campaign began in January and saw contributions of $6.5 million from DraftKings and FanDuel. If Missouri residents vote in favor, a sports betting market may launch in 2025.
In February, a poll conducted by Saint Louis University/YouGov revealed that 35% of Missourians agreed with legalizing sports betting in the state, with 41% disagreeing. Lobbyists must do some convincing to turn that number into a majority before residents vote.
What A Missouri Betting Market Would Look Like
If the measure passes, retail and online sportsbooks would be legal in Missouri. The 13 casinos and six professional sports teams would be able to have sports betting licenses. The measure sets the sports betting tax rate at 10% on wagering revenue. Taxes from sports betting will go toward educational institutions in Missouri. 21 is the legal betting age under the measure.
- Join TheLines.com’s free sports betting Discord — with over 4,000 community members and our staff sharing ideas daily.
Past Missouri Betting Attempts Failed
Missouri sports betting has been a saga to get to this point. Previous bills in 2022 and 2023 passed in the House but died in the Senate. During the 2023 session, Sen. Denny Hoskins filibustered to prevent a vote on the sports betting bill SB 30. Hoskins wanted video lottery terminals (VLTs) added to the measure, with Senators voting 20-11 against an amendment to include them.
This may be Missouri’s best shot at making sports betting legal. With the Kansas City Chiefs winning back-to-back Super Bowls, the state continues to miss out on potential revenue.
Latest Sports Betting Industry News
RELATED ARTICLES
