Missouri Sports Teams Launch Petition Drive to Legalize Sports Betting

Missouri sports betting legalization gained momentum on Friday with an announcement by the state’s professional sports teams about an initiative petition drive to include the issue on the 2024 election ballot.

The state’s professional sports teams have officially joined the push to legalize the top sports betting sites in Missouri. This effort complements the initiatives of Senators Tony Luetkemeyer and Denny Hoskins, who recently promised to introduce new sports betting bills in the current legislative session.

The NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, MLB’s Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals, NHL’s St. Louis Blues, MLS’s St. Louis SC, and NWSL’s Kansas City Current have pledged to launch a petition to include a voting question on legal sports betting in the November 2024 ballot.

Bill DeWitt III, president of the St. Louis Cardinals, stated that we are all in agreement to work towards the legalization of sports wagering in Missouri in a manner that is reasonable, safe, and responsible. This initiative will benefit our teams, fans, Missouri teachers, and all citizens of Missouri.

‘Winning for Missouri Education’

The professional sporting entities in Missouri have introduced a ballot initiative titled “Winning for Missouri Education,” which proposes a constitutional amendment to legalize retail and mobile sports betting in the state.

The proposal would allow 13 casinos and all six professional teams in Missouri to participate in legal sports betting, both in-person and online. Additionally, the Missouri Gaming Commission would have the opportunity to license two mobile sportsbooks directly.

Not surprisingly, both DraftKings and FanDuel have each donated $250,000 to support the recent efforts to legalize sports betting in the state.

The initiative’s language includes a licensing fee of $250,000 for retail providers and $500,000 for mobile. Additionally, a proposed 10% tax rate on net revenue would support elementary, secondary, and higher education programs in the state, as well as problem gambling programs.

Frustration with Missouri legislators driving petition initiative

Missouri sports teams are taking matters into their own hands by pushing for legal sports betting to be on the next election ballot, highlighting their dissatisfaction with politicians’ slow progress on the issue.

Lawmakers in Missouri have attempted multiple times, but have been unsuccessful, to align the state with seven out of eight neighboring states that have legalized sports betting. Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas are all generating tax revenue from their sports betting platforms, while Missouri and Oklahoma remain the only two states in the region without legalized sports betting.

Therefore, those teams have decided to mobilize Missouri citizens to put the issue on the 2024 election ballot.

DeWitt expressed doubt that the pattern of failed attempts by lawmakers would change in the upcoming legislative session. He announced plans to move forward with an initiative petition campaign to bring the issue of legalized sports wagering to Missouri voters in 2024. The campaign will begin this week, with efforts to collect signatures in support of the initiative petition.

What’s next for Missouri sports betting petition?

The teams participating in the current legal sports betting effort must collect and submit 180,000 signatures by May 8 to qualify their initiative for the November election ballot. This requirement is equivalent to 5% of the vote for governor in 2020 in six congressional districts.

This week, the St. Louis Blues will begin collecting signatures at their home games, while the St. Louis Cardinals had a signing event at a charity event last weekend during the offseason.

Support for legal sports betting in Missouri is gaining momentum, with backing from the state’s major professional sports teams and several Senate members. This could lead to the issue being put before voters in November.