JEFFERSON CITY — Followers in Missouri will be capable of wager on sports activities subsequent yr on account of a poll measure that hardly handed regardless of getting assist from record-setting spending and the state’s skilled groups.
State election officers on Thursday licensed that the sports activities betting measure handed with 50.05% assist within the November election.
Though the constitutional modification takes impact now, betting received’t instantly start. Beneath Missouri’s measure, state regulators should launch sports activities betting no later than Dec. 1, 2025.
A complete of 38 states and Washington, D.C., already enable sports activities betting, which has expanded quickly for the reason that U.S. Supreme Court docket cleared the way in which for it in 2018.
The $43 million marketing campaign — a report for a Missouri poll measure — was funded nearly solely by DraftKings and FanDuel, which dominate the nationwide sports activities betting market. Of the full raised, a mixed $2 million was chipped in by the state’s six main skilled sports activities groups — the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, the Kansas Metropolis Royals, and the Kansas Metropolis Present and St. Louis Metropolis soccer groups.
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The $14 million opposition marketing campaign was funded solely by Caesars Leisure, which operates three of Missouri’s 13 casinos.
Missouri permits recounts on poll questions when the profitable margin is lower than 0.5% of the full votes forged. The deadline to request a recount is seven days after the election is licensed.
A spokesperson for the opposition group, Missourians In opposition to the Misleading On-line Playing Modification, mentioned beforehand in an electronic mail that it doesn’t plan to request a recount.
Missouri’s constitutional modification will enable every of the state’s casinos {and professional} sports activities groups to supply on-site and cellular sports activities betting. Groups will management on-site betting and promoting inside 400 yards (366 meters) of their stadiums and arenas. The initiative additionally permits two cellular sports activities betting operators to be licensed straight by the Missouri Gaming Fee.
Beneath the initiative, at the least $5 million yearly in licensing charges and taxes should go towards drawback playing packages, with remaining tax revenues going towards elementary, secondary and better schooling.
Supporters turned to the initiative petition course of to get the measure on the poll after makes an attempt to legalize sports activities betting repeatedly stalled within the state Senate.
Although out there in most states, sports activities betting stays off-limits in some doubtlessly profitable markets, reminiscent of California and Texas. In 2022, California voters defeated two rival proposals to legalize sports activities betting after curiosity teams spent roughly $450 million selling or opposing the measures.
Related Press author David A. Lieb contributed to this report.
As Missouri prepares for the launch of sports activities betting, new research increase issues
