A petition to allow for statewide mobile sports betting in Missouri has been submitted to the secretary of state with over 340,000 signatures.
The “Winning for Missouri Education” group are the petition’s proponents. It is being led by the six Missouri professional sports franchises and seeks to legalise sports betting in the state.
The petition needed 180,000 verified signatures to make it onto the November ballot. It has far exceeded that prior to the 5 May deadline, also passing a target of 325,000 set in April.
The initiative would bypass the state’s general assembly following years of delays in allowing it to join nearby states such as Kansas and Kentucky in legalising online betting, with seven of Missouri’s eight bordering states currently offering sports betting.
Jack Cardetti, a spokesman for the campaign, stated: “We are grateful for the support from Missouri’s professional sports franchises, who have been crucial in creating the opportunity for Missourians to vote directly on this issue in November.”
Petition looking to fund Missouri education
Missouri is one of the few states in the Midwestern region of the US currently without legal sports betting. As a result, Missouri has missed out on hundreds of millions of dollars in state contributions with residents either betting with offshore operators or travelling to neighbouring states to wager.
The Winning for Missouri Education cited statistics from GeoComply in the submission of its petition. GeoComply highlighted that over the Super Bowl weekend, around 431,000 Missouri residents tried and failed to place bets.
The Winning for Missouri Education group believes the initiative will halt black-market usage, thus allowing state contributions to fund education. The group highlighted that teachers in Missouri are among the lowest paid in the US.
“As one of only 12 states without legalised sports betting, Missouri took a significant step forward today in ensuring that these revenues stay in Missouri to help our communities and classrooms,” Cardetti added.
The next steps towards legal sports betting
County clerks will now count the petition’s signatures. The secretary of state’s office typically outline whether campaigns will make it onto the ballot around July.
The group believes the petition will allow for “safe and legal” sports betting. The Missouri Gaming Commission will regulate sports betting in the state. The state will tax sports wagering at 10%, generating tens of millions of dollars for Missouri education.
The St Louis Cardinals, a Major League Baseball team, was also involved in the petition. Bill DeWitt III, president of the team, is excited for what legal sports wagering could bring to Missouri.
“The St Louis Cardinals are proud to support this initiative, which will boost Missouri’s professional sports teams, our fans and Missouri classrooms,” DeWitt III said.
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