Lawmakers in the state have seen a host of controversy in recent weeks, however, residents are pushing a campaign for a Missouri sports betting initiative.
Missouri Sports Betting Initiative
This initiative is being supported in hopes of being brought into Missouri’s general election ballot – which is set to take place in November.
It has been confirmed that over 300,000 people have signed a petition to get this sports betting legalization initiative over the line in Missouri.
In order to be brought into the November general election ballot, the campaign needs around 180,000 signatures – meaning it has already fulfilled the necessary criteria.
The initiative has been supported strongly within the state, as six professional teams in Missouri have backed the campaign.
These include: The St. Louis Blues, Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis City SC, and the Kansas City Current.
Despite claiming 300,000 signatures already, those behind the campaign are hopeful of adding an extra 5,000 before the Missouri Secretary of State’s May 5th deadline.
A spokesperson from the Winning for Missouri Education, Jack Cardetti, spoke about the support the initiative has received and where the funds will be allocated.
“The tremendous support we’ve seen throughout the state is a testament to Missourians’ readiness to bring sports betting revenue home and support our local schools, students and teachers in the process,”
“As the campaign approaches our goal of putting this on the November ballot, Missouri is a step closer to allowing Missouri adults to bet on sports, while generating tens of millions in annual funding for our classrooms.”
If this sports betting campaign is successfully legalized, it would be taxed at a 10% rate and go towards the Missouri public education.
The initiative will allow all professional sports teams and casinos in Missouri to open services for digital/physical betting.
Both sports teams and casinos would be eligible for a sports betting license, as this bill looks to create partnerships between each sector.
Should the required signatures be obtained, then residents in Missouri can vote on the sport betting initiative in the November general election.