Missouri Election Officials Certify November Ballot Results

A legal sports betting market in Missouri is on its way following the certification of November election ballots.

Ziv Chen

Last updated: December 6, 2024 3:19 PM EST • 3 min read

Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid and defensive end George Karlaftis celebrate as we look at the certification of Missouri election results. — Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid and defensive end George Karlaftis celebrate after a play during the second half. Photo by Jay Biggerstaff / Imagn Images.

It's only a matter of time for our best sports betting sites.

A legal Missouri sports betting market is finally on its way after state election officials certified voting results earlier this week, according to a local news source. The Missouri Board of State Canvassers, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, and Cole County judges Jon Beetem and Daniel Green found that Amendment 2 passed by just 2,961 votes.

The election occurred on Nov. 5, 2024, with almost 3 million Missourians casting their votes. In total, 1,478,652 voted in favor of regulated sports betting, while 1,475,691 individuals opposed the amendment. This means that the approval rate was 50.05%.

The small margin means that the opposition campaign, Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment (MADOGA), could request a recount. However, a spokesperson for the group has confirmed that it has no intention of doing so.

While this means that the constitutional amendment now takes effect, the Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) has until a December 2025 deadline to launch the regulated market. First, the MGC must draft rules and take license applications from sportsbooks.

Record ballot funding

Sports betting giants DraftKings and FanDuel contributed millions to the support campaign, Winning for Missouri Education. Together, they spent more than $40 million, a record for a Missouri ballot measure. Still, the vote just passed.

Winning for Missouri Education said the amendment would generate over $100 million for public education over the next five years. In its campaign, a teacher says they are voting “yes” for “better pay for teachers and a brighter future for Missouri kids.”

The campaign also received around $2 million in funding from the state’s sports teams including the St. Louis Blues, St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis City, Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, and Kansas City Current.

"Joining the 38 other states that already allow sports betting will allow us to further engage with our fans, while keeping tens of millions in Missouri for the benefit of our classrooms and communities,” said St. Louis Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III on Thursday.

Which sportsbooks will launch in Missouri?

Amendment 2 enables each of the state’s professional sports teams and thirteen land-based casinos to launch in-person and mobile sports betting. This means that even Caesars Entertainment, which contributed $14 million to MADOGA, will receive licenses. Caesars operates three casinos in MO, including Harrah’s Kansas City, Horseshoe St. Louis, and the Isle of Capri Boonville Casino.

The initiative also allows two mobile operators to be licensed directly by the MGC. Still, it appears that two of our best sports betting apps, FanDuel and DraftKings, are already eyeing these up, hence their large donations.

Missouri is set to impose a 10% tax on sports betting revenue, below the national average, which is 19%. The state joins a total of 38 states and Washington, D.C., where sports betting is already live and legal. Individual states have been able to legalize sports betting since 2018 when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).

Written By:
Ziv Chen

Ziv has over two decades of experience in the igaming and sports betting industry, having served in senior marketing and business development positions with both B2C and B2B companies, including Playtech and Microgaming. In 2019, Ziv decided to pursue his passion for writing and became a fulltime industry journalist, covering casino, sports, and gambling business news. He’s specialties include casino games and technology, US state gambling regulation, company performance, as well as gambling affiliates and marketing. As a Pitt graduate, Ziv is a diehard fan of all Pittsburgh sports teams, with the Steelers at the top of the list. In his free time, he enjoys reading crime fiction, biographies (mainly of sports personalities, but not only) and American history. Ziv’s Favorite quote: “We're going to pursue perfection, knowing full well we won't catch it, but we're going to relentlessly chase it," Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach.