Missouri Mayors Endorse Sports Betting Legislation Ahead of Amendment 2 Vote

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas endorsed Amendment 2, the question on next week’s ballot on whether residents want to legalize Missouri sports betting.

Amendment 2 would set the Missouri sports betting tax rate at 10%, cap promotional credits at 25%

The ballot campaign is also backed by Winning for Missouri Education, a PAC funded by DraftKings and FanDuel. Amendment 2 would set the sports betting tax rate at 10%. Promotional credits are capped at 25% as well.

The measure would also allow Missouri’s professional sports franchises along with the state’s 13 casinos to operate retail and online sports betting. Two online betting platforms would be eligible to receive a license.

At the moment, Missourians are traveling to neighboring states just to place wagers.

“Every time a Missourian has to drive across the river to Illinois to place a sports bet is a missed opportunity for our city, our state and our passionate sports fans,” Jones said.

“Missourians are betting on sports; we just aren’t getting any of the benefits. Amendment 2 will change this by allowing Missourians to place bets in a regulated, safe way that actually benefits our local economies and classrooms.”

DraftKings, FanDuel have donated more than $40 million to Winning for Missouri Education

DraftKings and FanDuel have contributed more than $40 million to Winning for Missouri Education.

“Whether it’s hosting the World Cup, playoff baseball or Monday Night Football, or being home to the first stadium in the world purpose-built for a women’s professional sports team, Kansas City is a great sports town,” Lucas said.

“Fans of Missouri’s six professional sports teams are some of the most passionate and knowledgeable in the entire country, but unfortunately, live in one of only a dozen states that hasn’t legalized sports betting.

“Now is the time to allow our teams to further engage with these fans, while also keeping the money from sports betting right here on the Missouri side of State Line Road.”

Additionally, Winning for Missouri Education gained two new financial contributors this week: the St. Louis Blues and Kansas City Royals. Both professional sports teams donated $333,000 to the cause, according to filings with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

Missourians have attempted to place more than 11 million wagers since the beginning of football season

Earlier this week, the St. Louis and Kansas City Building Trades Councils announced their endorsements. The Kansas City Star and the St. Louis Dispatch then followed suit.

An economic study revealed that legal sports betting would produce $335 million in total gaming revenue in its first year. That amount is projected to grow to almost $560 million by year five.

The total tax revenue estimate is $4.7 million in the first year, rising to $38.7 million in year five. Over five years, up to $105 million would be allocated for Missouri schools.

Missourians have attempted to place more than 11 million wagers since the beginning of football season. These recent finds are based on new data released by GeoComply this week.

Those attempts were linked to 216,000 mobile sports betting accounts in legal sports betting markets.

GeoComply found that 57% of the attempts were connected to Illinois sportsbooks. Another 37% were attempting to access Kansas sportsbooks.