A Tuesday appeal deadline passed, so voters will get to decide whether they want to enshrine sports wagering as part of Missouri’s Constitution.
Cole County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Green on Friday rejected efforts to invalidate the Missouri sports betting petition drive. Amendment opponents had a Tuesday deadline to overturn the decision. Since an appeal was not filed by Monday afternoon, it appears Green’s ruling will remain intact.
Election workers spent months confirming whether the statewide petition had a “sufficient” or “insufficient” number of signatures. The gathering process can be flawed, but Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft felt the petition forms had enough proven signatures to bring a sports betting amendment to the Nov. 5 ballot.
Plaintiffs who challenged the certificate of sufficiency disagreed with the Secretary of State’s Office.
“Lawsuits seeking to remove an initiative petition from the ballot after it has been certified as sufficient by the Secretary are highly disfavored,” Green wrote in his judgment. “The parties have not identified any case in the history of Missouri where a Plaintiff has succeeded in removing an initiative from the ballot through a certification challenge.”
Green later wrote:
“Applying these long-standing principles, Plaintiffs have not offered sufficient justification or evidence to call the Secretary’s certification of sufficient of the Sports Wagering Petition into question.”
Winning for Missouri supporters delivered the signatures to Jefferson City on May 2, 2024. The petition forms needed to meet proven signature thresholds in six of Missouri’s eight congressional districts to receive the certificate of sufficiency.
Missouri Sports Betting Amendment Sidesteps Senate Roadblocks
The Winning for Missouri petition bid began with support from Missouri’s pro sports franchises. The teams circulated petitions in January 2024 at a St. Louis Blues game and at a St. Louis Cardinals offseason event. The Kansas City Chiefs, the Kansas City Royals, and the state’s pro soccer franchises also promoted the petition effort.
“We are united in our goal of supporting the legalization of sports wagering in Missouri in a reasonable, safe, and responsible way that is good for our teams, our fans, our Missouri teachers and our other citizens of Missouri,” St. Louis Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III said in a statement.
Pro franchises and gaming supporters felt they needed to sidestep the Missouri Senate. The chamber has been a consistent roadblock in efforts to bring sports betting to Missouri.
Winning for Missouri Education spokesman Jack Cardetti said in a statement after the court decision:
“(Friday’s) ruling, while expected, is nevertheless a big victory for Missourians, who overwhelmingly want to join the 38 other states that allow sports betting, so that we can provide tens of millions in permanent, dedicated funding each year to our public schools.”
“For too many years, Missourians have watched as fans cross state lines to place sports bets, which deprives our Missouri public schools of much-needed funding. A vote for Amendment 2 in November will bring those dollars back to Missouri classrooms,” Cardetti said.
Missouri is the fourth-largest state where sports wagering remains illegal, based on population. Only California, Texas, and Georgia have larger untapped markets.
Early Voting Can Begin Oct. 1
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,” JoDonn Chaney, the Director of Communications for Secretary of State John R. “Jay” Ashcroft 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.
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.
Missouri Sports Betting Amendment Details
Sources told Catena Media’s Matthew Kredell that some casino companies find flaws with the initiative. For example, Missouri has 13 casinos, but the venues are operated by six companies. It’s not clear whether the casinos have access to six licenses or 13.
- The state’s six pro franchises can partner with sports betting brands.
- The Missouri Gaming Commission itself could also partner with two untethered sportsbooks.
- The stadiums and casinos could establish both in-person and online betting through partners like DraftKings or FanDuel.
- A 10% tax on revenue would go toward the state’s education budget.
- Licensing fees and taxes would create a $5 million revenue source for problem gambling programs.
- The pro franchises could create an exclusive 400-foot advertising zone around their venues to protect their sports betting relationships.
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