Missouri judge rules in favor of sports betting ballot amendment
The petition remains valid, which brings the matter before voters.
Missouri Judge Daniel Green, a Circuit Court Judge in Cole County, has struck down an attempt to invalidate a sports betting petition, according to a recent local news report from the Missouri Independent.
This means Missouri voters will still have the chance in November to pull the lever for statewide legalized sports betting.
Judge Green cited another case when issuing his ruling and said it was necessary to rule with “restraint, trepidation and a healthy suspicion of the partisan that would use the judiciary to prevent the initiative process from taking its course.”
He further wrote in his decision, “Lawsuits seeking to remove an initiative petition from the ballot after it has been certified as sufficient by the secretary (of state) are highly disfavored.”
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s office recently confirmed that Amendment 2, which could bring sports betting to the state, will be on the ballot, due to reaching the required number of signature in six congressional districts.
Missouri’s current law allows the Gaming Commission to distribute gaming 13 licenses. However, these can only go to gaming facilities that are located on the Missouri River and Mississippi River.
In addition to legalized sports betting, voters will have a say in whether a new casino is welcome near Lake of the Ozarks.
Four petitions were originally in circulation to bring the new casino to the area. However, at least 170,000 signatures are required on only one of them to make the ballot.
Judge Green ruled in favor of the campaign, following controversy regarding if it had reached the signature requirements to bring the motion before Missouri voters.
The Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s office had determined the casino proposal failed to gain enough signatures to make the ballot this fall.
However, the Osage River Gaming and Convention maintained that the group had collected the signatures needed.
If voters approve allowing for a 14th license, the proposed $10m casino project would be located below Bagnell Dam along the Osage River.
Tax revenue from wagers would be used for “education-related spending, ranging from early childhood literacy programs to teacher salaries,” the local report said.
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