One of the most hotly debated political topics in Missouri has centered around approving sports betting legislation. But a recent poll reveals that Missourians may not be as eager to welcome it as some legislators and pro sports franchises believed.
Poll Results Chill Expectations
It has been a tumultuous few years in the Missouri legislature as lawmakers have battled to get sports betting legislation passed. But a contingent of politicians has nixed the efforts because their legislation to tie the legalization of gray machines (slot-styled gaming machines) to sports betting legislation has been repeatedly thwarted. Thus, the irony is that few oppose sports betting in Missouri yet it cannot get passed.
Because legislators cannot resolve the impasse, professional sports franchises in the Show Me State have decided to bring the case directly to the voters, circumventing the legislative process. But something rather unexpected occurred recently and it does not bode well for those professional sports teams looking to get paid millions by the sportsbooks to sponsor them.
According to an Emerson College poll conducted between June 17 and June 19 of 1000 Missouri voters, only 38% were in favor of sports betting, 35% were against, and 26% were unsure how they felt. That is well below the 50% threshold needed to pass the referendum but more concerning is the downward trajectory of the polling.
Different Results
In January, Emerson College conducted the same poll with markedly different results. In that poll, 62% were in favor of making mobile and retail sports betting legal in the Show Me State while 38% were against it.
St. Louis University conducted its own poll in February and those results revealed that 60% of respondents were in favor of mobile and retail sports betting while 25% were against, and 14% were unsure.
Thus, public support for sports betting has dropped dramatically from January through June and it must be concerning to those with a vested interest in seeing it approved.
What’s Next?
A lobbying group called Winning for Missouri Education has been created by the state’s professional sports franchises including the Cardinals, Royals, Chiefs, Blues, Current, and City FC. Its initial goal was to collect the required minimum of 180,000 verified signatures and deliver them to the Secretary of State’s office by May 7th. According to reports, the drive gathered over 340,000 signatures but they won’t be verified until sometime in July. Assuming at least 180,000 of them are verified, then the question of mobile and retail sports betting will go to the voters in November.
Before the most recent poll results were reported, 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.”
However, that optimism has undoubtedly been diminished with the recent poll results. Matt Taglia, the Senior Director of Emerson College Polling, stated that the message the lobbying group is trying to convey to the public will have to change to at least some degree.
“I think there’s some messaging work to do here if you’re on the side of passing sports betting in Missouri,” Taglia said. “I don’t think folks necessarily know what all it entails but a lot of them are, in principle, supportive of the idea.”
