Verification of Missouri Sports Betting Petition Expected to Come Soon

The Missouri sports betting petition submitted by the market’s pro sports teams has officially entered the verification window. 

At the start of August, the Missouri Secretary of State’s office announced they received the pro-sports-sponsored initiative. They will now seek to verify that the petition includes the necessary number of valid signatures from prospective voters.

Nothing else has come out in the week since this initial news. But the verification must be completed no later than August 13. So, there’s at least a deadline on when we’ll get the next update.

Assuming the signatures on the proposal are deemed sufficient, it will mark a big step toward the legalization of sports betting in Missouri. To be sure, this is different from saying it’s guaranteed. A number of other obstacles must still be cleared. 

What exactly are the next steps? And how is a Missouri sports betting initiative likely to fare on the November ballot? Are we actually tracking toward The Show-Me State becoming the first, and probably only, place to legalize sports betting in 2024?

What’s Next for the 2024 Missouri Sports Betting Initiative?

If and when the signatures on the petition are verified, the Missouri sports betting bill will be scheduled to appear on the November 2024 general election ballot. From there, it will be on voters to decide whether they want to legalize sports wagering throughout the state.

At this point, most consider the verification process a formality. The petition needed 140,000 signatures to meet the criteria. Winning for Missouri Education, the coalition of pro sports franchises sponsoring the bill, submitted 340,000 signatures—more than double the required number. 

Reading between the lines, this seems to suggest that the future of Missouri sports betting hinges on registered voters. If the majority of the population wants to legalize gambling, it appears that they can. 

But do the majority of Missourians want to legalize sports betting? That’s a more complicated issue. The petition’s sponsors clearly think they do. Yet, the polling data on the matter is fuzzy. The topic comes across as more divisive than many have painted it.

Clarity could be coming soon, though. We’re not talking about November elections, either. A new Missouri sports betting survey is expected to be released sometime in August. Granted, these polls are subject to a margin for error. But larger exercises tend to be representative of the voting population.

None of which means we’ll have a definitive answer on voter sentiment. The results could be split enough that the issue remains a coin toss entering November. However, if an overwhelming number of survey participants lean in one direction or another, it could serve as an early harbinger of what’s to come this fall.

Details of Missouri’s Sports Gambling Bill

With the Missouri sports gaming bill potentially headed for ballot approval, it behooves us to take a look at what’s inside. Below you can see what the shape of legal sports betting in The Show-Me State will look like (information via Legal Sports Report):

• In-person and online sports betting would both be legalized
• The state would issue licenses to 13 of the state’s casinos
• Six of the state’s professional sports teams would also receive betting licenses
• Two standalone licenses would be awarded to online sportsbooks in the United States
•  A tax rate of 10 percent would be applied to sports betting revenue

Two details stand out above all else: The Missouri online sports betting licenses and the tax rate.

Let’s start with the latter. A 10 percent tax rate isn’t below average, but there might be room for The Show-Me State to charge more. No, Missouri cannot hope to match the 51 percent tax assessed to New York sports betting. But Illinois sports betting increased their rate from 15 percent to 20 percent. Meanwhile, Ohio sports betting regulators recently doubled their own tax rate, bringing it from 10 percent to 20 percent.

Certain markets don’t have the population or sports teams to aggressively tax operators. Missouri isn’t one of them. They rank 18th in population and have plenty of professional sports franchises. There’s room for maneuverability. Whether they explore it is a separate matter. They probably won’t. Sports teams are among those behind this push. They’d be costing themselves revenue by increasing the tax.

Meanwhile, offering just two online Missouri sports betting licenses is bound to create a bidding war. Was this done on purpose to protect casinos? Is there wiggle room on the number of licenses? We’ll have to wait and see.

Voter Approval Isn’t the Only Thing Standing Between Missouri and Legal Sports Wagering

Even if the petition is approved for the November ballot, chances are we haven’t seen the last of any twist and turns. 

This bill exists in response to constant Missouri sports betting hangups in the state Senate. On numerous occasions, a groundswell of support in the House of Representatives has barreled into opposition at the next chamber. 

Of course, many know Senator Denny Hoskins is a key figurehead to Missouri sports betting opposition. He has filibustered in the past to ensure a bill doesn’t make it out of the chamber. 

How will he and others who side with him or who are simply against sports wagering react to this petition? They can’t stop it. But they can certainly wage campaigns against it in the lead-up to November elections. And if the failure of California sports betting in 2022 taught us anything, it’s that the messaging disseminated from government officials matters. It can absolutely sway sentiment. Is that what we’re in for here? Or do so many Missourians support sports betting that it doesn’t matter.

Regardless of what any polling numbers show, this is an issue that’ll play out over the next few months.

Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can find one that works for all of your sports betting needs: