Voters will weigh in on Missouri sports betting as part of the Nov. 5 General Election ballot.
The Missouri Secretary of State’s Office completed its review of about 340,000 petition signatures on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. The office had until 5 p.m. to issue a certificate of:
- Sufficiency — Election officials verified enough petition signatures to put Missouri sports betting on the ballot, or
- Insufficiency — too many signatures did not come from eligible Missouri residents, so sports betting won’t be on the General Election ballot.
The group Winning for Missouri Education needed about 180,000 proven signatures bring a sports betting constitutional amendment to the voters.
After its review, the Missouri Secretary of State Office issued a Certificate of Sufficiency for the sports betting referendum. A simple majority vote at the polls brings online and in-person sports betting to the state of Missouri.
JoDonn Chaney, the Director of Communications for Secretary of State John R. “Jay” Ashcroft said the certification process was a key step in the petition effort.
“If we issue a Certificate of Sufficiency, then it goes on the ballot unless there is some sort of a court intervention,” he said.
Missouri represents the fourth-largest untapped market for the online US sports wagering industry based on population. California, Texas, and Georgia are also among a dozen states that don’t allow real-money, legal online sports betting.
‘Winning for Missouri Education’ Called for Missouri Sports Betting Vote
The signature-gathering process can be imperfect, so it takes months for election workers to confirm whether the statewide petition has a “sufficient” or “insufficient” number of signatures.
Winning for Missouri supporters delivered the signatures to Jefferson City on May 2, 2024. The group asked voters to change the Missouri Constitution and allow sports betting in Missouri.
Plans call for:
- Missouri sports betting apps to be tethered to one of the state’s riverboat casinos or one of Missouri’s pro sports franchises. Mascots from the Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals, and St. Louis Blues helped deliver crates of petitions to the state capital in May.
- A betting age of 21+
- An online sports betting license fee of $500,000 over five years; or $250,000 for in-person (retail) betting licenses
- The Missouri Gaming Commission to set a launch date — but no later than Dec. 1, 2025
- A 10% sports betting revenue tax, directed to the state education budget, administrative expenses and a state problem gambling fund.
Timeline For the Missouri Sports Betting Vote
Tuesday’s Certificate of Sufficiency likely allows a public vote on sports betting, but opponents of the outcome can still challenge the certification.
The Secretary of State’s Office has an Aug. 27 deadline to resolve any challenges. Once the deadline passes, a sports betting vote is locked in for the Nov. 5 ballot.
“Any time you get the attorneys involved, or any legality issues that may arise, that could certainly change things,” Chaney said.
Deadlines for Voters to Know
Missouri voters can request a mail-in ballot starting Oct. 1, which is six weeks before Election Day. A vote that early requires an explanation, however.
“They could fill that ballot out and return it to the local election authority, (but) they would need to designate a reason why they are requesting an absentee ballot,” Chaney said.
Starting Oct. 22, early voters can go to their designated voting location to fill out their ballots.
“They can vote, and they do not need an excuse as to why they are voting early,” if they cast their ballot within two weeks of Election Day, Chaney said.
Voters have access to materials so they fully understand the sports betting issue before they vote on the referendum. The Missouri Attorney General’s Office and the state auditor reviewed the ballot language.
“You’re reading that ballot language,” Chaney said. “Then, also posted in the voting location, is a full copy of the complete wording, should someone be interested in reading the whole thing.”
Voting takes place from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Anyone still waiting in line at the 7 p.m. deadline on Tuesday, Nov. 5, will have a chance to cast their ballot.
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