Election officials confirmed Tuesday that they had seen enough signatures to put legalizing sports betting on the November ballot.
ST. LOUIS — In November, Missouri voters can decide whether to legalize sports betting. Supporters say it would give local school districts a big boost. Opponents worry that legalizing gambling could lead to addiction.
Sports bettors who live in Missouri say they often cross the river to legally wager in Illinois, and now professional sports teams are seeking to join Missouri.
After years of discussions with lawmakers that have led to no action, in just a few months the decision will be in the hands of voters.
“I love my city and the Cardinals are No. 1,” Althea Karns said.
“They’re my team. What can I say? I follow them closely and I wish them well,” Rich Moore added.
What if you could bet on whether your team would win a particular game? That’s not legal in Missouri, but it might be soon.
Election officials said Tuesday they had gathered enough signatures to put legalizing sports betting on the November ballot, with organizers saying the petition had 340,000 signatures.
“I’m a bettor too so I’m in favor,” Brandi Duke added.
“Illinois is already doing it, why aren’t most countries doing it? I agree,” Donovan Green added.
“There’s too much at stake already. If they want to do it in Illinois, or wherever they can, they can do it,” Moore said.
Critics have raised concerns about the potential for gambling addiction. Under the proposal, Missouri would impose a 10 percent tax on all bets. $5 million would be dedicated to preventing gambling addiction. The rest of the money would go to schools.
“On behalf of all six Missouri professional sports teams, I want to thank everyone who signed the petition to put this measure on the ballot,” Cardinals president Bill DeWitt said in a statement. “Voting for Amendment 2 in November is the right thing to do for both Missouri’s public schools and our favorite sports teams.”
“Once I started betting on sports I started watching more games, so I get it,” Green said.
“They’ve got casinos all over the place. This is all the gambling you could ever want,” Moore said.
Missouri and its eight neighboring states all allow sports betting except Oklahoma, and if passed in Missouri, you could be able to bet at casinos or in person on your favorite teams.
Voters will decide on November 5th.
