Missouri Sports Betting Ballot Language Clears Key Hurdle

Missouri sports betting ballot language overcomes key hurdles

Efforts to legalize sports betting in Missouri moved forward this week with formal approval of language that could appear on next year's ballot.

Missouri Secretary of State John Ashcroft approved eight versions of a sports betting proposal on Tuesday. That clears the way for supporters to begin collecting the necessary signatures to get it on the ballot.

The push for sports betting is led by the Local Sports Team Alliance, which includes Major League Baseball's (MLB) St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals, the NFL's (NFL's) Kansas City Chiefs, the National The St. Louis Blues of the Hockey League (NHL) and two professional soccer clubs - Sportsbook. St. Louis of Major League Soccer and Kansas City of the National Women's Soccer League.

Organizers had to collect more than 170,000 signatures from citizens to put the measure on the ballot. If approved by a majority of voters, the provision would be added to the Missouri constitution. The Missouri Gaming Commission will then be able to issue regulations governing sports betting operations.

Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt III, one of the leaders of the initiative, said organizers will meet with members of the mobile gaming industry to decide which version of the ballot measure to adopt. Then they started collecting signatures.

We'll be doing that here in the next week or two," DeWitt said Tuesday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Teams appear to be having a hard time convincing voters to support gambling expansion. That’s according to a survey conducted last week by Remington Research Group on behalf of The Missouri Scout, a subscription newsletter about state politics. As cited in the Post-Dispatch, the poll found that 54% of likely voters oppose legalizing sports betting, compared with 26% who support it and another 20% who are unsure.

10% tax, estimated up to $29 million to state

Gambling would be limited to those over 21, and sports betting revenue would be taxed at a 10 percent rate under all versions of the proposed language.

Organizers estimate establishing a sports betting program in Missouri would incur a one-time cost of $660,000 and ongoing costs of at least $5.2 million annually. The sports betting license is expected to generate between $10.75 million and $12.75 million in revenue, depending on which version of the proposal proponents ultimately pursue.

Because sports betting operators can apply for various tax breaks, organizers said they have no way of knowing how much ongoing revenue the state will claim. The proposal estimates annual state tax revenue at $0.0 million to $28.9 million and says estimates for local governments are unclear.

Tax revenue from sports betting will be used for educational expenses. This is after paying Gambling Commission fees and required contributions to the Compulsive Gambling Prevention Fund.

If the ballot measure is approved, Missouri's 13 casinos would offer sports betting, as well as professional sports venues and mobile sports betting sites.

Legislative Deadlock

The Missouri Legislature twice failed to pass new sports betting laws in the past two years, prompting supporters to push for a public vote.

Earlier this year, the state House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a new sports betting law 118-35. But the measure failed in the Senate and the House adjourned without a vote.

State Sen. Danny Hoskins (R-Warrensburg) has been blamed for this year's gridlock because he took similar action in 2022. Hoskins said he's not opposed to sports betting per se, but is pushing the state to adopt a legal framework for slot-style "skill play" machines, which have caused controversy.

The Legislature reconvenes in January, and organizers of the ballot measure have said they will abandon the push if lawmakers take action, though they are not optimistic that will happen.

"I would be happy if we could take legislative action because then we wouldn't have to do this," DeWitt said, according to the Post. "I'm hopeful, but I'm also realistic."