Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has signed off on ballot language for a sports betting campaign. One version, of eight, will be put to a vote and require 170,000 signatures from Missouri locals to place the question fully on the ballot.
Missouri’s professional sports teams have been petitioning for legalized sports betting since September. Meanwhile, republican Representative Dave Griffith proposed in October that the Show-Me State should boost taxes on casinos and legalize sports betting to generate more revenue that would go to nursing homes providing care to military veterans.
The St Louis Cardinals baseball team, St Louis Blues hockey team and St Louis City soccer club have all been part of the movement, but the Cardinals have taken the lead. Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III recently said the next step would be to discuss strategy with the mobile gaming app industry for signature collection within the next two weeks.
DeWitt said of the signature process, “I would be thrilled if we could get legislative action because then we wouldn’t have to do it. I’m hopeful, but I’m also being realistic.” He also hopes to avoid a costly media campaign, which may be possible if the House and Senate could reach an agreement by spring.
According to local reports, a Remington Research Group poll on behalf of the Missouri Scout political newsletter found that of 711 voters 54% opposed legal sports betting, 26% were in favor of it and 20% were not sure how they felt at this time.
