Missouri To Soon Find Out if Sports Betting Will be on November Ballot

Missouri could soon join the growing ranks of states allowing sports betting. 

The Show-Me State will soon find out if the signature-gathering effort to get sports betting on the ballot this November. Several of the state’s pro sports franchises helped lead the movement, collecting well over the 180,000 signatures required to get an issues on the ballot. Now, they are waiting for the Missouri Secretary of State to confirm the signatures and give final approval.

Years of legislative roadblocks have prevented Missouri from legalizing sports betting. That led to industry proponents deciding to push for a ballot initiative, allowing them to circumvent political battles and take the issues directly to Missouri residents.

“Estimates suggest that Missourians currently place hundreds of millions in bets each year either by using illegal, offshore gaming websites or by driving to neighboring states to place wagers,” pro-sports betting group Winning for Missouri Education shared in a statement. “By legalizing sports gaming in Missouri, the initiative petition would halt much of this activity and instead provide tens of millions of dollars annually for Missouri classrooms, where teachers are some of the lowest paid in the entire country.”

FanDuel and DraftKings have funded the effort, helping to raise over $6 million to get it done.

If the signatures are approved, Missouri residents will decide whether to legalize the industry when they vote this November.

Missouri Could Set Precedent for Other States

While the majority of states now allow some form of legal sports betting, a handful are still struggling to do so. Those states have also run into roadblocks in getting any bill passed, which has been sending their residents across the border to wager on sports. 

If Missouri’s ballot initiative is successful, several other states could quickly follow suit. This could also lead more operators to fund future initiatives as they look to add more markets. With public support for sports betting remaining strong, this could be an easy path to legalization for several markets.