Democratic Committee to Oppose Missouri Sports Betting Amendment

The path to legal sports betting in the Show-Me State just got a little more complicated.

The St. Louis Democratic Central Committee (SLDCC) has confirmed it will not support Amendment 2 in November. If voters pass the proposal, it would legalize sports betting in Missouri. While the group doesn’t oppose the industry, it is concerned about the language regarding how it would be taxed.

The key complaint from the SLDCC is that the annual tax revenue could be as low as $0. Sportsbook operators would be able to make large deductions on revenue, leaving less money for the state. Given the amount of money the industry generates, the group sees this as a bad deal for Missouri residents.

Elad Gross, the Democratic candidate for Missouri’s Attorney General, also publicly opposed Amendment 2. He cited the current proposal's lack of funds for problem gambling programs, which is a significant concern given the continuing spike in problem gambling across the US. 

The SLDCC’s opposition gives the Missourian Against the Deceptive Gambling Amendment group a new ally in their fight to prevent Missouri residents from legalizing sports betting next week. 

SLDCC Supports New Ozarks Casino

While the SLDCC opposes sports betting, it has supported Amendment 5, which would open a new casino in the Lake of the Ozarks. The group cited the jobs a new casino would create, something the sports betting industry cannot match.

“When we look at Amendment 5, we have an opposition situation taking place. We have money that’s constitutionally allocated to early childhood literacy. This will also include construction jobs, over 500 of them down at the Lake of the Ozarks, as well as jobs to operate the casino going forward,” SLDCC Chair Sean Fauss said of the proposal.