Gambling on the ballot: Four states present voters with gaming measures

Issues range from expansion to how funds will be spent from tax revenue.

As US voters head to the booth, several states have measures on the ballot that could affect the gambling market around the country.

Missouri voters will have a chance to pull the lever for a legal statewide sports betting market today by saying yes to Amendment 2.

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.

Voters in Colorado will tackle whether the state will be allowed to keep and spend all sports betting tax revenue it collects, even if it exceeds $29m.

The ballot measure’s wording says that the state would transfer funds “in excess of $29m annually” to Colorado’s water conservation and protection projects.

Residents in Petersburg, Viginia will decide whether to welcome another casino to the area. In recent years, the question of whether Petersburg would welcome a casino has been answered with a resounding no. The Senate committee struck down attempts to land a casino in Petersburg during both the 2022 and 2023 legislative session.

But lawmakers in Petersburg voted in favor of bringing in a new casino to the city earlier this year. Legislation passed in both the House of Delegates and in the Senate.

Virginia is currently home to three casinos that include HR Bristol, Rivers Casino Portsmouth and Caesars Virginia.

Good to know: Should voters say yes to statewide sports betting, Missouri will join the more than 35 states with open and regulated sports wagering markets

However, not all states are presenting measures that would expand the market.

In Arkansas, residents will vote on whether to revoke a casino license that would allow a new gaming destination in Pope County.

Cherokee Nation Entertainment has worked for the last several years to build a casino in Pope County but has faced resistance and a series of legal setbacks in the process.

The Arkansas Supreme Court recently ruled by a vote of 6 to 1 to uphold the ballot measure’s wording to revoke the license and dismissed the Cherokee Nation’s previously filed lawsuit that claimed the constitutional amendment was “riddled with errors.”

Laura Mack

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