The Missouri Board of State Canvassers certified the results of the state's sports betting vote Thursday, revealing Amendment 2, – to legalize both retail and online sports wagering in the Show-Me State – passed by just 2,961 votes or 0.05%. The deadline for the certification of results was set as Dec. 10.
The results of the Nov. 5 election revealed 1,478,652 voters in favor of the amendment, while 1,475,691 opposed it.
Anyone involved in one of the sports betting campaigns can request a recount since the winning margin is less than 0.5%. However, a spokesperson for the opposition campaign, Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment (MADOGA), revealed the group has no intention to do so.
Good news for Missouri schools
The group pushing for Amendment 2, Winning for Missouri Education, launched in November 2023. Their campaign aimed to convince Missourians to vote “yes” to guarantee millions of dollars in funding for the state’s schools and teachers, backed by a record-breaking $40 million in funding from sports betting giants DraftKings and FanDuel.
The state’s six major professional sports teams also contributed $2 million to the campaign, including the Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, Kansas City Current, Kansas City Royals, and St. Louis City.
"Joining the 38 other states that already allow sports betting will allow us to further engage with our fans, while keeping tens of millions in Missouri for the benefit of our classrooms and communities,” Cardinals president, Bill DeWitt III, said in a statement earlier this week.
Meanwhile, Caesars Entertainment entirely funded MADOGA and contributed $14 million.
What’s next?
Now, the Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) must take applications for licenses and draft rules for the legal market. The MGC has until a December 2025 deadline to launch the market. Ideally, Missouri sports betting will launch in the summer ahead of the 2025-26 NFL season.
“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,” MGC executive director Mike Leara said earlier this month.
Under the amendment, each of the state’s professional sports teams and land-based casinos can offer on-site and mobile sports betting. Plus, the MGC will also award two untethered licenses, which it seems DraftKings and FanDuel are eyeing up, hence their enormous contributions.
The state is also expected to impose a 10% tax on sports betting revenue, below the 19% national average sportsbooks paid to the state in 2023. The initiative also requires at least $5 million in funding to problem gambling programs, while the remaining tax revenue will support elementary, secondary, and higher education.
