ST. LOUIS—A coalition of Missouri professional sports teams is ready to start collecting signatures this weekend in a petition drive aimed at getting legalized sports wagering on a statewide ballot in 2024.
The coalition, which includes the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis City SC and the Kansas City Current filed several different versions of proposed ballot language with the Secretary of State’s office last fall that would allow pro sports teams and casinos to offer sports betting onsite and through online platforms used anywhere in the state.
The licenses could be held by teams in Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Football League, The National Hockey League, The National Basketball Association, the National Women’s Basketball Association or the National Women’s Soccer League.
It would not include the United Football League, which in Missouri is represented by the St. Louis Battlehawks.
The teams are mounting a campaign to support ballot language that would allow gambling boats and operators to each have a single retail license, along with a license held by teams. The state would allow two mobile licenses to qualified sports gaming operators.
Some of the other proposals would have allowed up to four online sports betting companies.
If approved, legalized sports wagering for people 21 and over would begin no later than Dec. 1, 2025, with proceeds from a 10% tax going to the state’s compulsive gaming fund and Missouri Gaming Commission expenses before the remainder would go to support education.
“We are united in our goal of supporting the legalization of sports wagering in Missouri in a reasonable, safe and responsible way that is good for our teams, our fans, our Missouri teachers and our other citizens of Missouri,” said Bill DeWitt III, President of the St. Louis Cardinals in a prepared statement. “While the sports wagering bills that we have supported during the past couple of years have overwhelmingly passed in the Missouri House and have also had the support of a majority of the Missouri Senate, those bills have been repeatedly blocked in the Missouri Senate and not allowed to proceed to a vote in the Missouri Senate. Therefore, as we are not optimistic that this pattern will change during the upcoming legislative session, we are currently proceeding with an initiative petition campaign to put the issue of legalized sports wagering on the ballot for Missouri voters in 2024,” he said.
Retail licenses would cost up to $250,000, while mobile licenses would cost up to $500,000. Both would have to be renewed every five years.
Signatures are due with the Secretary of State’s Office by May 5 at 5 p.m. The coalition says fans can start signing petitions this weekend at the St. Louis Cardinals’ Winter Warm-Up at Ballpark Village and at Enterprise Center when the Blues host the Boston Bruins Saturday. They will not be available at Saturday's Kansas City Chiefs-Miami Dolphins NFL Wild Card playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium
State lawmakers will try again to move legislation that would ask voters to change the threshold for passing constitutional amendments, after efforts last year failed to get across the finish line. Voters could be asked to approve those changes in August if lawmakers pass an initiative petiton bill this session.