Last week, the Missouri Board of State Canvassers certified the state’s sports betting results from the November election. They were reviewing the votes favoring Amendment 2. Missouri had an interest in legalizing the online and retail sports betting market. The amendment to legalize sports betting in Missouri only passed by 2,961 votes. Their deadline for certification of the results was 12/10.
Results from the November 5 election revealed that 1,478,652 voters favored sports betting’s legalization, while 1,475,691 opposed it. Because the winning margin of the vote was less than 0.5%, anyone involved in the campaign can legally ask for a recount. Despite that, a spokesperson from the opposing campaign revealed they have no intentions of asking for a recount in the future.
Missouri schools will benefit heavily from the legalization of sports betting
Winning for Missouri Education launched in November 2023. They are one of the main groups pushing for the legalization of Amendment 2. Their mission was to get Missourians to vote “yes” in November for sports betting. This guaranteed millions of dollars in funding for teachers and students in the state. All backed by a record-breaking $40 million in funding from industry leaders like DraftKings and FanDuel.
Six professional sports teams in the state contributed another $2 million toward the campaign. The teams included the Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, Kansa City Current, Kansas City Royals, and St. Louis City. However, Caesars Sportsbook entirely funded the $14 million budget for Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment (MADOGA). Now, Missouri has joined the 38 legal betting states and jurisdictions in the United States.
What is the next step for sports betting in Missouri?
The Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) is responsible for taking applications for licenses and drafting rules for the legal market. They have until December 2025 to launch the market. Ideally, Missouri’s sports betting market will be up and running by the start of the 2025 NFL season next September. Amendment 2 states that each of the state’s professional sports teams and land-based casinos can offer on-site and mobile sports betting.
Additionally, the MGC will have two untethered licenses that DraftKings and FanDuel have been monitoring. There’s a reason why they made such large contributions early on to help the legalization of sports betting in Missouri. The state is expected to have a 10% tax on sports betting. Lower than the 19% national average.
