Upcoming Missouri Sports Betting Vote Likely to Be Tight, Survey Suggests
Voters in Missouri are set to cast their ballots for the upcoming US President and the authorization of retail and online sports betting this November. The Office of Missouri State Secretary Jay Ashcroft (R) is currently validating over 340,000 signatures submitted by the Winning for Missouri Education campaign in early May. These signatures are in support of a statewide referendum that would modify the Missouri Constitution to enable sports betting.
According to a recent survey by Emerson College and The Hill, the outcome of the sports betting question is expected to be incredibly close if the referendum makes it to the voters. The survey reveals that about 38% of likely voters would vote in favor of the measure, while 35% would reject it. Around 26% are still undecided.
Matt Taglia, the poll’s senior director, suggests that supporters of legal sports betting in Missouri might need to revise their campaign strategy, stating that "there’s some messaging work to do here if you’re on the side of passing sports betting in Missouri."
Winning for Missouri Education is backed by Missouri’s professional sports teams, such as the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, MLB’s Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals, the NHL’s St. Louis Blues, MLS’ Kansas City Current, and St. Louis City soccer clubs. Financial support for the campaign also includes DraftKings and FanDuel.
If approved, the question would enable sportsbooks at the state’s 13 riverboat casinos, and they would also be authorized to operate an online sports wagering platform. Retail sports betting privileges would extend to the state’s professional sports stadiums and arenas, which would also be allowed to operate an online sportsbook skin.
The Missouri Gaming Commission could issue two online sportsbook licenses that wouldn’t be linked to a riverboat or sports stadium. The referendum mandates that the first $5 million the state receives from sports gambling be directed to problem gambling programs, and the remaining tax benefits would go toward K-12 public education.
If the sports betting question is endorsed, state legislators would need to establish licensing fees for the sportsbook rights and a state tax on oddsmakers’ gross revenue.
To reach the November ballot, Ashcroft’s office must validate at least 171,592 of the submitted signatures. This process involves the secretary’s office sending scanned copies of the signatures to county election authorities for verification. The county officials examine the scans against the voter’s signature on record used for voting at their polling place. If Ashcroft’s office determines there are sufficient validated signatures, the state secretary will issue a “Certificate of Sufficiency,” advancing the petition to the ballot for the general election.
Missouri shares borders with eight states – Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. All but Oklahoma currently have some form of legal sports betting.
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