Missouri sports betting referendum to appear on November ballot
Residents of Missouri will get to vote on a proposal to legalise and regulate sports betting in the state.
US.- The Missouri Secretary of State has approved a referendum on retail and online sports betting in the state. A measure has been certified by Missouri Secretary of State John Ashcroft and will appear on the November 5 ballot after a sports betting campaign collected enough valid signatures verified by election officials across the state.
The Winning for Missouri Education campaign is backed by every major professional sports team in Missouri. The proposed constitutional amendment would allow the Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, Kansas City Current, St. Louis Blues, St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis City SC to apply for a licence to take bets on games and other outcomes. The state’s casino operators would also be eligible for licences, and there would be two licences for online betting platforms.
See also: Missouri casinos report $154.5m in revenue for June
Missouri would tax sports betting at 10 per cent, with $5m allocated to a fund intended to help prevent compulsive gambling. The remainder would go to public schools and higher education.
A majority of Missourians appear to support legalised sports betting. A poll released in March found that 60 per cent believed betting on professional sports should be legalised while 25 per cent were opposed. The remaining 14 per cent said they were not sure.
