Missouri May Recount Votes On Sports Betting Amendment 2

• Voting on Missouri’s sports betting amendment could be subject to a recount after a late report of almost 10,000 votes narrowed the margin of votes for sports betting.
• The change in votes moved the statewide margin from 4,363 to just 368 votes in favor of the amendment, which makes it possible for a recount if requested.
• Missouri’s eight largest voting jurisdictions haven’t certified results but must do so by Dec. 10.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Bad news for sports bettors in Missouri as the amendment that granted the state a regulated sports betting industry could be eligible for a vote recount. A recent influx of late votes narrowed the margin of victory from 4,363 votes to just 368 votes, well within the necessary 0.5% margin to be eligible for a recount.

Christian County added 9,653 votes on the legal sports betting amendment, Amendment 2, although the majority of those votes were against it. Exactly 3,995 more votes were against sports betting on the ballot in this county, putting the amendment in recount range.

There have already been just under three million votes on Amendment 2, so the 368-vote difference shows a true 50/50 split in the Show Me State. Luckily for legal Missouri sports betting advocates, none of the eight biggest voting areas have certified final results and they all were in favor of passing Amendment 2 by a wide majority.

Will Missouri Recount Amendment 2 Voting?

Although the narrow voting margin currently qualifies for a recount based on Missouri’s 0.5% margin rule, that doesn’t mean a recount is guaranteed. A recount will only occur if someone requests it, and that’s less likely considering whoever requests the recount will have to pay for it.

The last statewide recount was in Aug. 5, 2014 with the Right to Farm amendment, which ultimately only narrowed the margin from 2,490 votes to 2,375 votes. Even if a recount happens, expect Amendment 2 to narrowly pass and bring regulated sports betting to Missouri.

News tags: Amendment 2 | Missouri