Missouri mayors endorse sports betting legislation ahead of general election vote
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas throw support behind Amendment 2 ahead of November 5 vote
The mayors of Missouri’s two biggest cities have backed proposed sports betting legislation which is set to be included on the ballot as Missourians head to the polling booth next week.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, both Democrats, have endorsed the approval of Amendment 2 to legalize sports betting in the Show-Me State.
The bill would allow for the regulation of online sports betting, gambling boats, professional sports betting districts, and mobile licenses to sports betting operators in Missouri, regulated by the Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC).
The proposed legislation includes a 10% tax rate on sports betting revenue, with the proceeds funneled towards education resources in the state.
Jones suggested that Amendment 2 was the ideal way to stop Missouri citizens from betting in other states.
Missouri’s neighbor states Illinois, Kansas, Iowa, Kentucky, and Tennessee have all legalized sports betting since the fall of PASPA in 2018.
In a statement given to pro-sports betting lobby group Winning for Missouri Education, Jones said: “Every time a Missourian 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.
“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.”
Lucas added that the legislation would lead to greater engagement between Missouri-based sports teams and their fans.
He said: “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.
“Fans of Missouri’s six professional sports teams are some of the most passionate [and] 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.”
In addition to the two mayors, Amendment 2 has also received endorsements from Republican Senator Caleb Rowden and Democratic Senator Brian Williams.
Gubernatorial candidates Crystal Quade (Democrat) and Governor Mike Kehoe (Republican) gave their support to the bill back in September.
Operators FanDuel and DraftKings have been big supporters of the legislation, providing over $40m worth of funding to Winning for Missouri Education.
The group played an instrumental role in pushing through the bill, collecting the 180,000 signatures needed for Amendment 2’s inclusion on November’s ballot.
On the other side, Caesars Entertainment has opposed Amendment 2, providing more than $14m worth of funding to anti-sports betting lobby group Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment (MADOGA).