Missouri Judge’s Ruling Sends Sports-Betting Vote To November Ballot

A Missouri judge on Friday ruled against a lawsuit seeking to remove a question from the November ballot asking voters if they want to legalize sports betting statewide.

Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel R. Green shot down the lawsuit by political consultants Jacqueline Wood and Blake Lawrence. The lawsuit claimed some voter signatures required to put the sports-betting question on the Nov. 5 ballot are invalid.

The signatures already had been certified by 116 local election officials in Missouri and, on Aug. 13, by Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s office. The lawsuit was filed a short time later.

According to the judge’s 12-page final judgement, issued Friday afternoon, “Lawsuits seeking to remove an initiative petition from the ballot after it has been certified as sufficient by the Secretary are highly disfavored.”

“The parties have not identified any case in the history of Missouri where a Plaintiff has succeeded in removing an initiative from the ballot through a certification challenge,” the judge wrote.

The judge determined that those who filed the lawsuit “have not met their burden of proof.”

Pending a possible legal appeal, the judge’s ruling on Friday means voters in Missouri will get a chance on Nov. 5 to decide whether to legalize sports betting in the state.

The deadline to remove a proposed constitutional amendment from the November ballot is Tuesday at 5 p.m.

Nationwide, sports betting is legal in 38 states and Washington, D.C. It is legal in every state bordering Missouri except Oklahoma.

'Big Victory For Missourians'

The campaign committee wanting to place the proposed constitutional amendment on the Nov. 5 ballot, Winning for Missouri Education, praised the judge’s ruling.

“Today’s ruling, while expected, is nevertheless a big victory for Missourians, who overwhelmingly want to join the 38 other states that allow sports betting, so that we can provide tens of millions in permanent, dedicated funding each year to our public schools,” said Jack Cardetti, committee spokesman. “For too many years, Missourians have watched as fans cross state lines to place sport bets, which deprives our Missouri public schools of much needed funding. A vote for Amendment 2 in November will bring those dollars back to Missouri classrooms.”

The secretary of state’s office said the issue will remain on the November ballot.

“We applaud the 116 local election authorities across Missouri for their efforts in processing signatures for this petition,” said JoDonn Chaney, director of communications. “As with all petitions, the secretary of state’s office followed statutory procedures to determine whether sports wagering (Amendment 2) would qualify for the November ballot. As directed by the court this issue will remain on the ballot."

Public Vote Would Legalize Mobile, In-Person Betting 

If approved in November, sports betting in Missouri will begin no later than Dec. 1, 2025, for bettors age 21 and over.

With voter approval, Missouri’s casinos and six professional sports teams will be allowed to offer onsite and mobile sports betting. The Missouri Gaming Commission also will be permitted to license two additional mobile sports betting operators.

The sports teams backing the measure are the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, Kansas City Royals, Kansas City Chiefs and two soccer teams, the Kansas City Current and St. Louis City.