Sports betting is officially on the ballot in Missouri as citizens have the chance to vote on a constitutional amendment on whether to legalize and tax betting on major sporting events in November’s election.
According to a report in the Kansas City Star, a campaign called Winning for Missouri Education dropped off more than 340,000 signatures to force a statewide vote. The campaign is backed by every major professional sports team in Missouri and raised more than $6.5 million in high-dollar donations including some from sports betting operators like FanDuel and DraftKings.
The Kansas City Star is bullish on the measure’s chance to pass. A poll in March found that 60% of likely voters believe it should be legal while 25% were opposed and 14% undecided.
Meanwhile, if the amendment passes, the Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, Kansas City Current, St. Louis Blues, St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis City SC will receive a license to take bets on games and other outcomes. It also grants eligibility to the state’s casinos to receive a license as well as two online betting platforms.
The report also notes that Missouri would tax sports betting at 10% with $5 million allotted to a fund aimed to prevent compulsive gambling. The remaining money would go to public schools and higher education, which is where the campaign drew its name from.
