Missouri will legalize sports betting by 2025. Voters in Missouri adopted Amendment 2, legalizing sports betting throughout the state in a landmark ruling. Only 0.256% of voters approved the proposition, making Missouri the 39th state in the union to legalize this type of gambling. With just 7,486 votes out of roughly 2.9 million voted separating approval from rejection, the Secretary of State’s office declared a narrow margin. Even though Missouri law permits recounts for margins less than 0.5%, the opposing group Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment has stated they will not request a recount despite the amendment’s narrow passage.
Kansas and Illinois, two nearby states that have already accepted regulated sports betting, have spurred the movement to legalize sports betting in Missouri. Amendment 2 will go into effect 30 days after the election, pending final certification, which is anticipated by December 10. By December 1, 2025, the Missouri Gaming Commission must set up authorized sports betting sites throughout the state, enabling citizens to wager at casinos and through mobile applications.
Several betting choices are now available throughout Missouri as a result of Amendment 2’s approval. Residents will have access to both physical and virtual sports betting sites after the market opens. The Cardinals, Royals, and Chiefs are among the professional sports clubs in Missouri that will be permitted to open physical betting shops close to their stadiums and provide branded mobile betting choices.
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A license for online sports betting will also be available to all of the state’s casinos, allowing them to operate sportsbooks on-site. Major operators like DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Caesars Sportsbook will have access to two more online licenses that will be accessible for platforms that are not affiliated with casinos or sports clubs.
Together with Kansas, Missouri will impose a 10% tax on adjusted gross gaming revenue from sports betting, which is a relatively modest tax among states that have legalized sports betting. A portion of this tax will go toward the Compulsive Gambling Prevention Fund, which will assist those impacted by gambling addiction, and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Any future modifications to the tax rate would be difficult, though, because they would need another statewide vote after the amendment was approved as a constitutional act.
Amendment 2 proponents think that sports betting will help Missouri’s education budget by bringing in much-needed funds. Within the first five years of legalization, sports betting may bring in over $100 million in new tax revenue, according to the Winning for Missouri Education campaign, which was supported by FanDuel and DraftKings to the tune of over $14 million. In contrast, since introducing sports betting in 2022, Kansas has raised over $20 million in tax income, which it has used to draw in professional sports franchises.
Legislative obstacles have hampered Missouri’s progress toward allowing sports betting. Even though Kansas City and counties like Jackson, Clay, and Platte had strong support for legalization, opposition from different interest groups caused attempts to constantly stall in the state legislature. However, Missourians can anticipate betting opportunities comparable to those in neighboring states like Illinois, Iowa, and Tennessee now that Amendment 2 has been approved.
Notably, the amendment contains limitations that are consistent with those in other jurisdictions, such as the ban on prop bets on Missouri-based colleges’ athletes. This clause addresses the ethical and integrity issues with betting on amateur athletes and represents a cautious approach to collegiate sports wagering.
The U.S. sports betting market generated a record $10.92 billion in 2023, according to the American Gaming Association (AGA), highlighting the sector’s potential as a source of income for Missouri. Despite its value, sports betting money is not expected to satisfy all of Missouri’s educational financing demands; projections indicate that it may only make up a small portion of the state’s $10 billion yearly education budget.
With over 35 states allowing sports betting in one form or another, Missouri’s ratification of Amendment 2 is part of a broader national movement to legalize sports betting. Missouri’s decision to profit from sports betting is further distinguished by the fact that Oklahoma is still the only border state that forbids the practice. With FanDuel and DraftKings leading the effort in Missouri with notable impact, this ruling also emphasizes the expanding power of big online gaming companies.
A new chapter in the history of gambling in the Show-Me State will begin in December 2025, when sports fans in Missouri can expect to place their first legal wagers.
“All in: Missouri Voters Pass Amendment 2, Legalize Sports Gambling“, kshb.com, November 6, 2024.
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