While a sliver of doubt remained for the past month, Missouri sports betting is officially on its way.
The Missouri Board of State Canvassers certified November’s general election results Thursday, including Amendment 2, which legalizes sports betting in Missouri. The amendment won by fewer than 4,000 votes, which left room for a potential recount.
“The people have spoken,” Secretary of State John “Jay” Ashcroft said in a release. “With November’s results now official, we are pleased to have completed another election cycle. The success of this election is respective of the patronage of Missouri’s voters, election authorities and poll workers.”
The ballot question requires sports betting to launch by Dec. 1, 2025. However, the Missouri Gaming Commission will likely work to get off the ground quicker than that.
Race for Missouri sports betting
Legislative efforts in Missouri stalled out for the last three years despite strong support from the industry and professional teams in the state. Last fall, the teams launched Winning for Missouri Education to push the ballot initiative.
DraftKings and FanDuel funneled more than $40 million into the campaign. There was a significant opposition campaign, funded by Caesars, that eventually waned as the interpretation of the question was clarified by the MGC.
The ballot question won approval with 50.05% of the votes, 1,478,652 to 1,475,691.
Missouri sports betting framework
The amendment allows each of the state’s casinos to operate in-person and online sportsbooks. Each of the state’s six professional teams also can operate sportsbooks.
The MGC also can allocate two standalone online licenses. Missouri will institute a 10% tax on sports betting revenue.
Caesars’ initial opposition was likely over a misunderstanding in the ballot language. It could have been interpreted that only each of the state’s six casino operators would receive an online license. Instead, MGC Executive Director Mike Leara told the Missouri Independent that each casino company and each location could apply for a license.
For Caesars, that means four: one for Caesars Entertainment and three for each of the casinos it owns in the state.
When will sportsbooks go live?
Leara told the Associated Press that the commission is working to launch legal sports betting by late spring or early summer. The commission is already working on the rules and guidelines to get the industry off the ground.
Leara said he hopes to issue emergency rules for applications in January.
“We’re looking at a streamlined process for that to initially authorize sports betting at that time,” Leara told the Missouri Independent. “Those are definitely optimistic timelines, but so far, we’re on track, so when we issue that first temporary license, then they will be able to start accepting those bets from within Missouri.”
