After facing years of legislative setbacks, a sports betting initiative in Missouri is on the brink of making it onto state ballots this fall. A recent poll conducted by Emerson College Polling/The Hill shows that the vote on sports betting could be a close one, with 38.3% of prospective voters in favor, 35.4% against, and 26.3% undecided.
If the initiative is certified and approved by voters, it would allow casinos and professional sports teams in Missouri to offer onsite and mobile sports betting. The Missouri Gaming Commission would regulate the industry, and a designated city or county would receive 10% of the gaming tax for services provided. The campaign, led by Winning For Missouri Education, aims to generate millions of dollars for public education annually through licensing fees and taxes.
Efforts to legalize sports betting in Missouri have been met with challenges, with some lawmakers pushing for regulations on video games in convenience stores and concerns about compulsive gambling. Despite the political pushback, poll results did not show any significant trends based on political party affiliation. Missouri is one of 12 states in the U.S. that has not yet legalized any form of sports betting.
The initiative is pending certification by the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office and has the potential to bring significant changes to the state’s gambling landscape if approved by voters in November.
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