Missouri Sports Betting Barely Passes In Tight Race From Voters

by | Nov 6, 2024 10:20 am | Legal | 0 comments

Missouri Sports Betting Barely Passes In Tight Race From Voters

Missouri Sports Betting Passes

  • With about 3 million votes cast by Missouri residents, the sports betting measure known as Amendment 2 received about 7,000 votes over the 50% mark.
  • Winning 50.1% to 49.9%, the process for legalizing and regulating sportsbooks in Missouri begins with an expected launch before 2026.
  • Local sportsbooks will accept any gambler 21 and older and will pay 10% of their winnings to the state toward public education and problem gambling help.

St. LOUIS – Voters narrowly approved a measure to legalize and regulate Missouri sports betting on Tuesday, marking a significant win for proponents after years of unsuccessful attempts in the state legislature.

The ballot measure, known as Amendment 2 to voters, was approved with slim margins and allows both online and in-person sportsbooks to operate. The launch date must occur before 2026 but officials are hoping to have NFL betting up and running for Week 1 in 2025.

This approval aligns Missouri with over 30 other states where sports betting is legal and regulated.

What’s Next?

The new law will establish a licensing framework for online sportsbooks as well as brick and mortar sportsbooks. This includes some of Missouri’s major casinos (Bally’s Kansas City, Hollywood Casino St. Louis, Argosy Casino Riverside, e.g.)

But online will be the real moneymaker as DraftKings and FanDuel were major supporters of the measure. Contributing millions to the campaign, this was the highest-fund Amendment in Missouri’s history.

With backing from local sports franchises like the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Chiefs, the closeness of the vote actually comes in rather shockingly.

Nonetheless, Missouri’s entry into the sports betting market is expected to attract millions in annual revenue and new business opportunities across the state. The potential revenue from sports betting generated in Missouri will be put toward education – perhaps the reason why it passed in the first place.

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