A coalition of Missouri professional sports franchises submitted more than 340,000 petition signatures to the Secretary of State's Office Thursday morning in an effort to put legalization of sports betting on the November ballot.
The two teams, who created a committee called “Winning for Missouri Education,” turned to the initiative petition process after years of sports betting bills failing the General Assembly. The signatures come from at least 8% of registered voters in at least six of Missouri's eight congressional districts.
The proposed bill, if approved by voters, would add sports betting to the state constitution. This includes licensing teams, casinos, and online websites like FanDuel and DraftKings.
Mike Whittle, executive vice president and general counsel for the St. Louis Cardinals, was one of many representatives at a news conference outside the Secretary of State's office on Thursday.
“We are at the point where we want to pursue this path and put this issue before Missourians and get them to vote later this year,” Whittle said.
“When it comes to sports teams, some of us are from different sides of the state. We're not necessarily on the same page on every issue, but we're on the same page on this one.” We really appreciate the partnership and support,” he added.
Lawmakers said the gambling tax would raise “tens of millions” annually to fund Missouri's education. It could generate nearly $30 million, according to financial statements.
Approximately $5 million from the sports betting tax will go to a foundation that helps people with gambling addictions, and the rest will go to public schools and higher education programs.
Some Missouri state senators, including Republican Sen. Denny Hoskins of Wallacenburg, have pushed the sports betting bill through Congress, arguing that it does not address the problem of compulsive gambling to a sufficient extent. has been repeatedly rejected.
Missouri's neighboring states (Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Kansas) have legalized sports betting. Oklahoma State is not like that.
Thirty-eight other states across the country have also legalized some form of sports betting.
Adam Sachs, senior vice president and chief external affairs officer for the Kansas City Royals, said he has friends who “drive to the Kansas side for barbecues and bet on sports legally.”
Mr. Whittle echoed Mr. Sachs' opinion.
“Our fans understand that. They think this revenue is going to go out of Missouri, and they're asking, 'Why can't we keep it in Missouri?' He said.
Whittle said Major League Baseball prohibits teams from setting up sportsbooks on ballpark property, but the Cardinals are considering setting up sportsbooks in nearby locations, such as in and around Ballpark Village. He said that it is an option.
For the Royals, Sachs said it's up to the fans to get this vote out to the public.
“This is just another way to engage the fans. Corporate sponsorship opportunities come from that, but it's really the fans that matter,” he said.
If the Secretary of State verifies that enough signatures are authentic, it will be placed on the public ballot in the November election.
The General Assembly is currently debating measures that would require any proposed constitutional amendment to be approved by at least five of the state's eight congressional districts, rather than just the current standard of a statewide majority. ing. If approved, the bill could advance to an August primary election and change the approval process in November.
This story originally appeared in the Columbia Missourian. Can be republished in print or online.
