Sports Betting Backers in Missouri Submit Over 340,000 Signatures to Legalize Gambling
Missouri’s professional sports teams came together on Thursday to submit over 340,000 voter signatures, aiming to legalize sports betting in the state. With support from Cardinals’ Fredbird, Royals’ Sluggerrr, and Blues’ Louie mascots, the campaign brought 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 verify the voter signatures to finalize the proposal on the ballot. The campaign is seeking around 180,000 signatures to qualify. Currently, 38 states and the District of Columbia have legalized some form of sports betting, with 30 states and D.C. permitting online wagering.
The Missouri initiative is an effort to bypass the Senate, where bills to legalize sports betting have faced repeated obstacles. Missouri is among the twelve states where sports wagering remains illegal even after more than five years following the U.S. Supreme Court’s approval for states to implement it.
The coalition of teams supporting the initiative include the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, Kansas City Current, and St. Louis City soccer teams. The proposed constitutional amendment would allow each of Missouri’s 13 casinos and six professional sports teams to offer both onsite and mobile sports betting
