Sports Betting Approval Apparently ‘Will Stand’ In Missouri: Election Official

The “yes” votes to legalize sports betting in Missouri are ahead by more than 2,900 with results in from across the state but not yet certified, an election official told Gambling.com on Tuesday.

That figure is unlikely to change much over the next several days as certification continues, said JoDonn Chaney, spokesman for Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft.

As of now, Amendment 2 legalizing sports betting in Missouri “will stand,” according to unofficial results, Chaney said.

The office has until Dec. 10 to certify the results from the state’s 116 election authorities, Chaney said, though the process could be wrapped up before then. The office is in possession of the election packets with unofficial results from all 116 election authorities and is going through them now, he said.

“We have no delays in the process,” Chaney said. “The timeline is being followed."

If the count continues to favor the "yes" vote, sports betting on mobile devices and in person at sportsbooks will begin no later than Dec. 1, 2025, for bettors age 21 and over. Missouri would become the 39th state with legal sports betting. It also is legal in Washington, D.C.

Recount Allowed

On Nov. 5, voters in Missouri approved Amendment 2 by a slim margin, but some 10,000 ballots that went uncounted until the next day in Christian County raised questions about the closeness of the final vote total, shrinking the difference to several hundred votes.

However, all Christian County ballots have been counted and are among the other 115 packets delivered last week to the secretary of state from across Missouri, Chaney said. A small number of military ballots might still be out but probably not enough to change the total significantly, he said.

Even so, the 2,900-plus lead by the "yes" votes is within the 0.5% total difference between “yes” and “no” to trigger a recount if challenged, Chaney said.

Recently, a group opposing the legalization of sports betting indicated it does not expect to seek a recount, according to published reports.

Chaney said any person or group seeking a recount has seven days from the secretary of state’s certification to submit a request — by Dec. 17 at the latest. From that point, the secretary of state’s office would have 20 days to complete a recount.

If a possible recount or legal challenge are unsuccessful, the Missouri Gaming Commission will take steps to issue licenses to the state's major sports teams and 13 casinos, with national sports-betting operators such as FanDuel and DraftKings expected to seek licenses. The commission also will be permitted to license two additional mobile sports-betting operators.