Missouri’s professional sports franchises are pushing for the passage of sports betting legislation in the Show Me State and have reportedly gotten enough signatures on their ballot initiative to potentially get the question on a ballot referendum in November.
Mission Accomplished
The seesaw political battle being waged around sports betting has been ongoing for several years in Missouri. The biggest obstacle has been Senator Denny Hoskins who has no objection to mobile and retail sports betting but insists that any legislation must be tied to the legalization of video lottery terminals (VLTs) that dot the highways and byways of Missouri and whose legal status is very much a gray area which is why they are often referred to as gray machines.
The professional sports teams in the Show Me State including the Cardinals, Royals, Chiefs, Blues, Current and City FC, have formed a lobbying group called Winning for Missouri Education. A minimum of 180,000 verified signatures must be procured by the group and delivered to the Secretary of State’s office by May 5th for a referendum on sports betting to be eligible to be placed on November’s ballot for Missouri voters to decide.
Overcoming Hurdles
As of this writing, the group has amassed over 300,000 signatures which means the first major hurdle has been accomplished, assuming at least 180,000 of those signatures can be verified.
Winning for Missouri Education spokesperson Jack Cardetti said in a press release, “The tremendous support we’ve seen throughout the state is a testament to Missourians’ readiness to bring sports betting revenue home and support our local schools, students, and teachers in the process. As the campaign approaches our goal of putting this on the November ballot, Missouri is a step closer to allowing Missouri adults to bet on sports, while generating tens of millions in annual funding for our classrooms.”
How Does Hoskins Feel?
The legislative route was not working as Senator Denny Hoskins would not relent in insisting that the legalization of VLTs be included in any sports betting bill. Those opposing VLTs argue that these slot machine-like gaming devices being used in convenience stores, truck stops and barrooms throughout the state cannibalize casino profits. Those casino operators pay considerable taxes, have made substantial investments in the properties they have built and create thousands of jobs.
Thus, the casino operators are vehemently opposed to VLTs and they hold political sway in Missouri as they do wherever commercial casinos are found. Moreover, professional sports franchises stand to gain millions of dollars in sponsorships through mobile sports betting operators.
Thus, the coalition, Winning for Missouri Education, was formed out of frustration by the six sports franchises as lawmakers had exhausted their patience and no compromise appeared possible with Hoskins as the primary obstacle.
After hearing about the success of the signature campaign, Hoskins was contemplative, saying, “I’m not against putting that question on the ballot, but I’ve consistently said that the ballot language that they are using, I don’t believe best serves the people of Missouri. Number one, the tax rate is very low (reportedly 10%). The fees are very low. There’s not enough money in there for problem-compulsive gambling, which is going to be caused by the legalization of sports betting here in the state.”
“The casinos, I’ve seen, would net an increase of $25 million apiece,” Hoskins said. “Let me say that again, if sports betting passes in the state of Missouri, casinos will net another $25 million in net profit going to their bottom line. So, I want to make sure that Missourians are protected.”
Not surprisingly, Hoskins believes a compromise bill in the legislature would have been the preferred option, stating, “I think, yes, a legislative plan would be better, but we’ve gone down that road and, unfortunately, the casinos kill any sort of compromise that we try and come up with.”
