- Legalized Missouri sports betting has two more heavy backers
- St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas have both endorsed legalized Missouri sports betting
- Voters will decide Missouri’s sports betting fate on Nov. 5
The mayors of the two largest cities in Missouri have officially backed legalized sports betting.
The Winning for Missouri Education campaign today announced that St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones (D) and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas (D) have both endorsed the approval of Amendment 2 to legalize sports betting in the state.
Both city leaders cited the need to keep their residents in state to place sports bets, rather than losing tax revenues to bordering states with legalized betting.
Missed Opportunity With No Sports Betting
Missouri is bordered by seven states with some form of legalized sports betting. Every time a Missouri resident has to cross the border to place a sports bet, Jones told the Winning for Missouri Education campaign, it’s a missed opportunity for the Show-Me State.
“Every time a Missourians has to drive across the river to Illinois to place a sports bet is a missed opportunity for our city, our state and our passionate sports fans,” Jones said in a press release. “Missourians are betting on sports, we just aren’t getting any of the benefit. Amendment 2 will change this by allowing Missourians to place bets in a regulated, safe way that actually benefits our local economies and classrooms.”
If voters approve the constitutional amendment at the polls next week, each Missouri sports team and casino would be eligible to operate retail and online sports betting. Each team and land-based casino would be eligible for one retail sports betting license and one online sports betting license each. Each individual team and casino would be able to partner with up to one online sports betting operator.
In total, the state could see 19 retail sports betting licenses and 21 online sports betting licenses under this framework.
Missouri is a great sports state, Lucas said, and residents in Kansas City deserve to place sports bets through regulated and safe means.
“Whether it’s hosting the World Cup, playoff baseball or Monday Night Football, or being home to the first stadium in the world purpose-built for a women’s professional sports team, Kansas City is a great sports town,” Lucas said. “Fans of Missouri’s six professional sports teams are some of the most passionate, knowledgeable in the entire country, but unfortunately live in one of only a dozen states that hasn’t legalized sports betting. Now is the time to allow our teams to further engage with these fans, while also keeping the money from sports betting right here on the Missouri side of State Line Road.”
Adding on Endorsements
The newest mayoral endorsements have shown strong political support for legalized sports betting. Last week, the Winning for Missouri Education campaign announced Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden (R-19) and Sen. Brian Williams (D-14) both endorsed the passages of Amendment 2 to legalize sports betting.
The campaign announced the endorsement in a new ad that began to air last week.
“We are proud to have a growing list of leaders from all political backgrounds standing together to support Amendment 2. Right now, millions of dollars are leaving Missouri as people cross state lines to place bets. Amendment 2 will bring those dollars back home and ensure the tax revenue stays here, benefiting Missouri schools. This is a real opportunity for voters to make an impact,” Winning for Missouri Education spokesperson Jack Cardetti said in a press release.
To date, the campaign has received endorsements from both gubernatorial candidates, Lieutenant Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) and House Minority Leader Crystal Quade (D), plus civic groups like Freedom Inc. and the St. Louis and Kansas City Building & Construction Trades Councils.
Plus, the state’s two largest newspapers, The Kansas City Star and The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, have both officially endorsed a “yes vote” on Amendment 2 at the polls.
In a significant development for the sports betting industry in Missouri, both the mayors of St. Louis and Kansas City have officially endorsed the legalization of sports betting in the state. This endorsement comes as a major boost for proponents of legal sports betting in Missouri, as the two cities are home to some of the state’s largest sports fan bases.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas have both expressed their support for legalizing sports betting in Missouri, citing the potential economic benefits and revenue opportunities it could bring to their respective cities. Both mayors believe that legalizing sports betting could help generate much-needed revenue for local governments, as well as create new jobs and stimulate economic growth.
The endorsement from the mayors of St. Louis and Kansas City is a significant step forward for the legalization of sports betting in Missouri. With their support, proponents of legal sports betting in the state are hopeful that legislation will be passed in the near future.
Currently, sports betting is legal in several states across the country, including neighboring states like Illinois and Iowa. Proponents of legal sports betting in Missouri argue that allowing residents to place bets on sporting events within the state would help curb illegal gambling activities and generate revenue that could be used to fund education, infrastructure, and other public services.
Opponents of legal sports betting in Missouri have raised concerns about potential negative impacts, such as an increase in problem gambling and addiction. However, proponents argue that strict regulations and responsible gambling measures can help mitigate these risks.
Overall, the endorsement from the mayors of St. Louis and Kansas City is a positive development for the sports betting industry in Missouri. With their support, proponents are hopeful that legislation will be passed soon, paving the way for legal sports betting in the state.
