Missouri Narrowly Approves Sports Betting Measure

Missouri has legalized sports wagering for individuals aged 21 and older with the passage of Amendment 2. The measure was officially called by the Associated Press last week and passed with 50.05 percent of the vote. Missouri is the 39th state to legalize sports betting, according to the American Gaming Association. The amendment will take effect in 30 days and requires wagering to be established no later than December 1, 2025.

The measure was put on the ballot after a mass signature gathering effort from the state’s professional sports teams—led by the St. Louis Cardinals. With the amendment passed, Missourians will no longer have to go to neighboring states to place wagers. Since the start of the 2024 National Football League season, residents have unsuccessfully tried to place more than 11 million bets in other markets while in Missouri. Nearly 40 percent and 57 percent of these wagers were attempting to access legal sportsbooks in Kansas and Illinois, respectively. 

Licensed sportsbooks will have their adjusted gross revenues taxed at 10 percent, with the tax revenue first going to the state’s gaming commission, $5 million earmarked for gambling addiction programs, and the remaining appropriated to elementary, secondary, and higher education, according to The Kansas City Star. The state government estimates legalization will bring in up to $29 million annually in tax revenue. In fiscal year 2024, Missouri’s Gaming Tax on its 13 casinos brought in over $357 million to the state’s education funds.

Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment, which received more than $14 million from Caesars Entertainment (which owns three casinos in the state), opposed the measure. The group spent almost $4 million on a television campaign but canceled $1.2 million worth of ads right before the election. Winning for Missouri Education, the committee that backed Amendment 2, received nearly $16 million from online bookmakers FanDuel and DraftKings.

Sports betting is still illegal in 11 states, five of which considered legalizing the activity in the past year. Given its popularity, sports betting may be allowed nationwide in the near future. Adults in Missouri will soon be able to spend and wager their own money on sports as they see fit. The 11 remaining states should allow their residents to do the same by following suit.

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