Sports Betting in Missouri: 340,000 Voters Say Yes to Legalization through Signature Drive

Missouri’s Professional Sports Teams Submit Over 340,000 Voter Signatures for Legalization of Sports Betting

On Thursday, Missouri’s professional sports teams joined hands to submit over 340,000 voter signatures in support of a ballot proposal to legalize sports betting in November. The campaign received help from popular team mascots, including Fredbird from the Cardinals, Sluggerrr from the Royals, and Louie from the St. Louis Blues. These mascots eagerly delivered boxes filled with signatures to the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office in Jefferson City.

Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft will now need to validate the signatures before the proposal can officially be placed on the ballot. The campaign needs approximately 180,000 signatures to meet the qualification requirements. Currently, 38 states and the District of Columbia allow some form of sports betting, with 30 states and Washington D.C. permitting online wagering.

Missouri is one of only twelve states where sports wagering is still illegal more than five years after the U.S. Supreme Court paved the way for states to legalize it. The coalition behind the initiative includes the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, and the Kansas City Current and St. Louis City soccer teams.

If approved by voters, the proposed constitutional amendment would enable each of Missouri’s 13 casinos and six professional sports teams to offer onsite and mobile sports betting. Teams would be in charge of onsite betting and advertising within 400 yards of their stadiums and arenas