Missouri’s professional sports teams are working together to make sports betting legal in the state. They submitted over 340,000 voter signatures in support of a ballot proposal on Thursday. The campaign received help from popular team mascots, including Fredbird of the Cardinals, Sluggerrr of the Royals and Louie of the St. Louis Blues.
The coalition behind the initiative includes St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals and the Kansas City Current and St. Louis football teams. If approved by voters, the proposed constitutional amendment would allow each of Missouri’s 13 casinos and six professional sports teams to offer on-site and mobile sports betting. Teams would be responsible for on-site betting and advertising within 400 meters of their stadiums and arenas.
In addition, the initiative would allow two mobile sports betting operators to obtain a license directly from the Missouri Gaming Commission. At least $5 million a year in licensing fees and taxes will be earmarked for problem gambling programs, with the remaining tax revenue going to education. State regulators would have to start sports betting by Dec. 1, 2025 at the latest if voters approve this ballot proposal.
Missouri is one of only twelve states where sports betting remains illegal more than five years after the US Supreme Court cleared the way for states to legalize it.
Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft will now have to verify the signatures before the proposal can officially be put up for a vote.
The campaign needs about 180,000 signatures to meet eligibility requirements.
Currently, 38 states and the District of Columbia allow some form of sports betting