A coalition backing legal sports betting in Missouri on Thursday said that it “turned in roughly twice the number of signatures needed” to put the question on the November general election ballot -- more than 340,000 signatures, according to Alyse Pfeil of the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH. Winning for Missouri Education spokesman Jack Cardetti said that the submission “represents the first major step toward Missouri becoming the 39th state to legalize sports betting.” He added, “Quite frankly, getting those signatures was easier than we ever anticipated.” Pfeil notes the coalition is led by the state’s six professional sports teams -- the Cardinals, Blues, St. Louis City SC, the Chiefs, Royals and the K.C. Current -- and “backed by sports betting giants FanDuel and DraftKings.” Cardinals SVP & General Counsel Mike Whittle said they “get feedback from our fans all the time,” with many asking, “When is sports wagering gonna be legal in Missouri?’” The ballot measure would set the sports betting tax rate at 10% and allow Missouri’s professional sports franchises and the state’s 13 casinos to operate retail and online sports betting. Part of the wagering tax would go to “institutions of elementary, secondary and higher education” as well as a $5M “compulsive gambling prevention fund.” But legislation to legalize and regulate sports betting “has failed for years at the Missouri Capitol, even as neighboring states like Illinois and Kansas passed regulations.” The failure to advance in the state legislature is connected to a fight over unregulated slot machines -- video lottery terminals -- that “can be found in gas stations and bars across the state.” At the outset of the 2024 legislative session, both House and Senate leadership indicated the impasse was “unlikely to resolve this year, a prediction which has borne out as the May 17 session deadline approaches” (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 5/3).
