Frustrated with the lack of legislative action in getting sports betting approved in Missouri, a coalition of major league sports franchises and online gambling companies has initiated a campaign to bring the issue directly to the voters.
Missouri’s major sports teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, St. Louis CITY SC, Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, and the Kansas City Current, have joined forces to push for the legalization of sports betting. Despite repeated attempts to persuade lawmakers, legislative inaction has hindered progress.
Bills legalizing sports betting have passed in the Missouri House but have consistently failed to gain traction in the Senate. This lack of progress has prompted the coalition to take matters into their own hands and pursue a ballot initiative.
To kickstart their campaign, the coalition has received major donations from leading online sports betting platforms, FanDuel and DraftKings. Each company contributed $250,000 to the initiative. The newly formed political action committee, “Winning for Missouri Education,” will use these funds to gather signatures for the ballot initiative and launch an advertising campaign to sway voters in favor of legalizing sports betting.
The demand for legal sports betting in Missouri is evident. GeoComply, a company that tracks illegal wagers, has identified over 356,000 user accounts in the state and blocked 24.5 million illegal betting attempts in 2023 alone. Additionally, Missourians are crossing state lines to neighboring states where sports betting is legal, resulting in a loss of revenue for the state. The proposed constitutional amendment aims to regulate this black market and keep the revenue within Missouri.
Under the proposed amendment, sports franchises playing in arenas that seat 11,500 or more, along with Missouri’s 13 casinos and two online platforms without a physical presence in the state, would be eligible for licenses to offer sports betting. This would allow for online and in-person wagering at casinos and sports venues.
The state would impose a 10 percent tax on net revenue generated from sports betting, with estimated annual proceeds ranging from nothing to $28.9 million. A portion of the revenue would be allocated to a fund addressing compulsive gambling, while the rest would support public schools and higher education programs.
Despite the efforts of the coalition, the path to legalization still faces hurdles in the Missouri Legislature. Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden has expressed skepticism about the impact of the ballot initiative on legislative action.
Supporters of video lottery games, a competing form of gambling, have been resistant to passing a sports wagering bill that does not include legalizing their games. This division between supporters of different forms of gambling has created a stalemate in the Legislature. House Speaker Dean Plocher shares similar doubts about the possibility of a legislative solution, citing disagreements over unregulated slot machines as a major obstacle.
Missouri’s casino companies have not given up on the legislative path. The Missouri Gaming Association, representing the casino industry, has not yet committed to any specific proposal but continues to explore potential options. The selected proposal for the ballot initiative, which allows casinos to operate their own sports gambling platforms or partner with online providers, may help bridge the gap between the casino industry and the campaign for legalization.
To secure a spot on the 2024 ballot, supporters of the initiative must gather signatures from registered voters across Missouri. The deadline for collecting signatures is May 8, and the required number of signatures ranges from 171,592 to 188,537, depending on the chosen districts. This process requires a significant grassroots effort and widespread support from the public.
Legalizing sports betting in Missouri has the potential to create a thriving market, generating substantial revenue for the state. The Missouri Lottery has sold $1.8 billion in tickets annually for the past three years, and casinos have won $1.9 billion from players in the last fiscal year. Kansas, a neighboring state, recorded $1.85 billion in wagers during the first year of legalized sports betting. By legalizing sports betting, Missouri can tap into this market and keep the revenue within its borders, benefiting both the state’s economy and its education system.
Public opinion on legalizing sports betting in Missouri remains divided. A survey conducted by the Remington Research Group found that 54 percent of respondents were against legalization, while 26 percent were in favor.
However, 20 percent of respondents were undecided, indicating the potential for changing attitudes. The success of the ballot initiative will depend on the ability of the campaign to educate and persuade voters about the benefits of legal sports betting.
