As Missouri legislators now consider proposals to bring sports betting to the state, several of the region’s sports franchises and two major sportsb betting operators are also hoping to put the issue directly in front of voters in case those efforts don’t come to fruition.
A coalition involving the St. Louis Cardinals, Blues, Royals, and the Kansas City Chiefs have joined FanDuel and DraftKings in submitting proposals to the Secretary of State’s office to bring the issue before voters this fall. The group will now have to gather signatures to see that happen. The move comes after several failed legislative efforts in recent years.
“While the sports wagering bills that we have supported during the past couple of years have overwhelmingly passed in the Missouri House and have also had the support of a majority of the Missouri Senate, those bills have been repeatedly blocked in the Missouri Senate and not allowed to proceed to a vote in the Missouri Senate,” St. Louis Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III said.
“Therefore, as we are not optimistic that this pattern will change during the upcoming legislative session, we are currently proceeding with an initiative petition campaign to put the issue of legalized sports wagering on the ballot for Missouri voters in 2024.”
Details on the Initiative
Sports betting has grown immensely in the U.S. over the last five years after the Supreme Court overturned the virtual federal ban on wagering outside Nevada in 2018. According to the American Gaming Association (AGA), 38 states plus Washington D.C. and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico have all legalized sports betting in some form.
Earlier this year, the AGA predicted a record 46.6 million people would be making an NFL bet this season. In Missouri, as Chiefs fans head to Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday for the team’s playoff matchup against the Buffalo Bills, making a bet in the state won’t be on the menu.
While Kansas sports wagering is allowed, along with every other neighboring state except Oklahoma (that state is also considering legalization now), betting on the hometown team remains illegal on the Missouri side of Kansas City. The coalition of teams and betting operators are now hoping to change that.
The initiative calls for allowing sports betting licenses for Missouri casinos, online operators, and the teams themselves. Bettors would have to be at least age 21 and the state would incur a 10% tax on wagering. The revenue would be used for the Missouri education system with another 10% also going toward responsible gaming efforts. Licenses for retail betting would cost $250,000 with mobile licenses running as much as $500,000
“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,” DeWitt said.
If legalized, the plan calls for betting to start by Dec. 1, 2025. However, there is still some hope among some in the industry that a legislative solution could be reached before then. The 2024 legislative session is now underway and runs through May 17.
Several plans have been discussed among legislators, and the industry will be watching to see if there is hope for a solution at that level of government. The coalition of sports teams estimated the betting could produce some serious revenue numbers for the state.
“Recent estimates suggest that Missourians place roughly $2 billion a year in bets using offshore gaming websites, while other Missourians drive to neighboring states to place wagers,” the group noted.
More States Consider Betting
Missouri isn’t the only state to see attempts to legalize sports betting in recent weeks. Serious efforts are underway in Alabama to legalize both a state lottery and sports betting. Sen. Greg Albritton (R) has said Gov. Kay Ivey (R) also favors legalization, but whether the issue can get through the legislative process remains to be seen.
California residents are also currently being asked to sign two petitions that would legalize sports betting via the state’s tribal casinos. The tribes have not been involved in that process and have pushed back on the effort. Previous sports betting proposals were rejected in 2022.
Initial efforts are also underway to bring sports betting to Georgia as well. That may be an uphill fight as recent bills to legalize sports betting, horse racing, and casinos have all failed.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt also released his own sports betting plan recently. This would call for a 15% tax on in-person wagering and 20% on mobile betting. Betting would be tied to the state’s tribes “pursuant to a state-tribal compact.” Operators would pay an initial licensing fee of $500,000 for a plus an annual fee of $100,000. The state’s legislative session runs Feb. 4-29.
