It’s unofficial as of this writing (published in the wee hours of the early morning on Wednesday, Nov. 6), but it looks like Missouri sports betting will soon become a reality.
According to the first batch of numbers published by the Missouri Secretary of State, Amendment 2, which legalizes Missouri sports betting, passed Tuesday night. This opens the door for the industry to launch at some point in 2025.
NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect accurate vote counts as of early-afternoon on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
More on the result
Votes from the state’s 3,572 precincts trickled in long after polls closed at 7 pm local time. Ultimately, the MO sports betting measure passed by approximately 4,300 votes (pending official ratification by the Secretary of State’s office).
With its passage, Missouri sports betting (and, by extension, Missouri sports betting promos) will soon become a reality. Amendment 2 states a launch must happen by December of 2025, though a launch in mid-2025 (prior to the NFL and college football seasons) seems far more likely.
Missouri sports betting finally gets the green light
The amendment’s approval comes after years of legislative gridlock. Multiple bills have been considered during the state’s legislative sessions. However, those pieces of legislation ran into roadblocks (most notably Sen. Denny Hoskins), which spurred this ballot initiative. Hoskins criticized this measure earlier this year and lambasted its 10% tax rate, one of the lowest in the nation.
Amendment 2 was backed by Winning for Missouri Education, whose members include representatives from several local teams. Petitions backed by the organization garnered more than 300,000 signatures earlier this year, which ensured the measure’s place on the 2024 ballot. Closer to the election, the campaign to pass the amendment included a commercial starring St. Louis Cardinals legend Ozzie Smith.
The amendment was backed by both FanDuel and DraftKings, which spent considerable sums of money on the race. Caesars was also involved, but on the other side (due in part to the company’s land-based casino businesses in the state).
