Missouri Sports Teams Advocate for Ballot Measure on Legalizing Sports Betting
Missouri Sports Betting Goes Straight to the People
In a surprising move, four of Missouri's professional sports teams are taking the matter of legalizing sports betting into their own hands. A lawyer recently submitted nine ballot initiative petitions to the secretary of state's office, backed by these teams, aiming to legalize sports betting in the state.
The proposals all call for the Missouri Gaming Commission to regulate wagering, with betting to be limited to professional sports teams. They also earmark tax revenue for education and road projects. However, there are key differences between the proposals, mirroring the various sports betting bills that have been filed in the General Assembly over the past four years.
Attorney Alixandra Cossette, who filed the petitions, did not respond to an inquiry from Sports Handle. The coalition of Missouri professional sports teams - the NFL Chiefs, Major League Baseball Royals, NHL Blues, and MLS St. Louis City Soccer Club - released a statement confirming their interest. To quote their joint statement, "Each of our organizations supports the legalization of sports wagering in Missouri as a way to increase engagement with our fans and provide a fun and exciting new way to enjoy sports and root for our teams. We also believe that sports wagering will generate a significant new source of tax revenue for Missouri."
Missouri Lawmakers: A Perplexing Picture
Missouri lawmakers have struggled to agree on sports betting legislation for four years. Proposals have ranged from retail-only legalization to statewide mobile betting, with debates over whether to allow betting on college teams and the tax rate causing disagreements.
Sen. Denny Hoskins and Rep. Dan Shaul plan to refile bills in 2022, hoping to find a consensus. Politics has proven to be a stumbling block in recent years, making a significant expansion of gambling in Missouri a challenge.
The Big Difference: Pro Teams in the Lead
This is the first time that professional sports teams are taking the lead on a sports betting ballot initiative petition. In contrast, lawmakers have sent the question of legal sports betting to the voters in Maryland, Nebraska, Louisiana, and South Dakota in 2020. Tribes in California will do the same in 2022.
The process requires gathering the signatures of 8% of registered voters in six of Missouri's eight congressional districts. According to Ballotpedia, 171,592 verified signatures would be needed to qualify for the 2022 ballot, with proposals needing to be submitted to the state by June 8, six months before election day.
Each proposal varies, with differences in tax rates, the provision for official league data, and locations for wagering, including existing gambling boats, entertainment districts, and online platforms. The entertainment districts would be built around professional sports stadiums, with the pro teams controlling whether or not wagering is allowed within their boundaries.
Grasping for Control: Black Market Threat
Two of the states sharing borders with Missouri - Illinois and Iowa - already allow statewide mobile wagering and betting on colleges. As a result, the nine proposals prohibit wagering on college teams to prevent the black market from persisting or bettors from crossing state lines to place wagers.
Missouri could follow the model set by Washington, D.C., where betting in and around Capital One Arena is controlled by the NBA Wizards and NHL Capitals in partnership with Caesars Sportsbook, creating exclusive wagering zones.
DraftKings, in 2020, partnered with the Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Ill., to attract Missouri bettors with special offers. Eastern neighbor Tennessee launched statewide mobile wagering last November, and betting is legal in Nebraska but not yet live. The competitive landscape could further contribute to the growth of the Missouri market.
[1] [https://ballotpedia.org/Missouri_Sports_Wagering_Amendment,Initiative_Petition_No._3(2022)][2] [https://www.forbes.com/sites/briansolomon/2022/03/08/missouri-professional-sports-teams-take-the-lead-on-sports-betting-ballot-initiative-petition/?sh=7b0afaae36e8][3] [https://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/missouri/missouri-secretary-of-state-rejects-emergency-rulemaking-for-sports-betting/article_4400adb8-eef5-11ec-aefb-fbdc6f7abe7d.html][4] [https://www.knoxweb.com/blog/integrated-marketing/missouri-is-one-step-closer-to-legalizing-sports-betting/][5] [https://www.sportshandle.com/missouri-card-clubs-score-sportsbook-partnerships-in-direct-challenge-to-casinos/]
- The Missouri Gaming Commission will regulate sports betting across professional sports teams, as outlined in the ballot initiative petitions that were submitted by a coalition of Missouri's sports teams and a lawyer.
- The Missouri professional sports teams' foray into sports betting legislation could generate significant tax revenue for the state, according to their joint statement, and aim to increase fan engagement with their sports teams and provide a new way to enjoy sports.
- While Missouri lawmakers have struggled to agree on sports betting legislation for four years, the nine proposals submitted for the 2022 ballot initiative all prohibit wagering on college teams to prevent the black market from persisting or bettors from crossing state lines to place wagers.
