People in Missouri will vote on whether or not they want to legalize sports betting in November. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
People in Missouri will have the ability to vote on the legalization of sports betting on November 5. The Missouri Secretary of State announced on Tuesday that the petition to get the issue on the ballot was successful. A simple majority is necessary for the measure to gain passage.
gathered over 340,000 signatures to trigger the vote
The group behind the petition, Winning for Missouri Education, successfully gathered over 340,000 signatures to trigger the vote, about double the necessary number. All of the state’s professional sports teams support the proposal, and major operators like FanDuel and DraftKings provided seven-figure donations to help the campaign garner support.
A poll in March from the Kansas City Star showed that 60% of potential voters favor legalization, with 25% against the idea and the remainder undecided.
If the vote is a success, it would result in the six professional sports teams getting a license and each casino in the state having the option to get a retail license and up to two online approvals. The proposed tax rate is 10%, with $5m going towards a problem gambling fund and the rest of the revenue earmarked for education programs.
