An effort to legalize sports betting in Missouri took a significant step forward Tuesday. The Missouri Secretary of State approved an initiative petition to put the question of legalizing sports betting on the November ballot.
The initiative, Winning for Missouri Education, was spearheaded by the state's professional sports franchises. The teams opted for this route after several years of the state legislature failing to successfully pass bills to legalize sports wagering.
“Missouri is now just one step away from joining most other states in legalizing sports betting and being able to provide millions of dollars to Missouri classrooms,”'Bill DeWitt III, President of the St. Louis Cardinals, said in a press release. “On behalf of all six of Missouri's professional sports teams, I would like to thank everyone who signed a petition to get this on the ballot. A vote for Amendment 2 in November is the right thing to do for both Missouri public schools and our favorite
If approved, the effort will tax sports betting at 10%, with tax revenue benefiting education initiatives in the state. It's likely several major sports betting apps, such as DraftKings and FanDuel, would be among the operators to enter Missouri's sports betting market.