Missouri voters on Tuesday (5 November) night did what the legislature has failed to do in more than five sessions – legalised statewide digital sports betting.
The margin was thin, about a half a percentage point and a 14,000-vote margin, according to the Missouri Independent. But in the end, Caesars’ short-lived opposition campaign did not kill the proposal. The company, one of two that operates three land-based casinos in the state, pulled $1 million (£775,l64/€919,250) worth of scheduled television advertising in mid-October.
And last weekend, iGB confirmed that the Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) said it interprets Amendment 2 to mean that each casino location is entitled to a digital betting licence. Previously, stakeholders believed that the initiative language indicated that each casino company – not location – would get a licence.
Missouri is the only state this year to legalise a statewide gambling expansion. Six of Missouri’s seven border states already have some form of legal sports betting. Oklahoma is the only border state that has not yet legalised.
The battle to legalise in Missouri has been long and arduous. It ultimately took action from the state’s professional sports teams to get the job done. Voicing his frustration at the years-long legislative logjam, St Louis Cardinals CEO Bill DeWitt Jr earlier this year spearheaded an effort by the state’s professional sports teams to get an initiative on the ballot.
DraftKings, FanDuel get a win
Once it was approved, DraftKings and FanDuel staked the campaign with more than $40 million (£31 million/€37.2 million) dollars, making it the richest initiative campaign in state history. Caesars, the only casino operator to openly oppose the measure, funded a “no” campaign with $14 million.
The win was the first for digital operators in several years, after losing or pulling back on initiative attempts in California and Florida in 2022.
Amendment 2 will ultimately allow for 22 digital betting platforms in Missouri. Each of the 13 casinos and seven specified professional sports teams will be eligible for licences. In addition, two stand-alone mobile licences will be available. There was a chance at one more, but Amendment 5, which would have allowed for an additional land-based casino licence, failed. That location would also have been entitled to apply, as well.
From here, the MGC will begin the process of promulgating rules and vetting wagering applicants. In most states, it takes gaming commissions six to twelve months to launch wagering.
