Missouri Sports Betting Legalization Still Polling Strong

• A newest poll shows expected Missouri voters support sports betting legalization
• An Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey of Missouri voters shows 52% of respondents supports the sports betting initiative
• 25% of respondents oppose the measure

Missouri sports betting legalization is still polling strong in the Show-Me State, according to the most recent poll.

According to an Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey of 850 Missouri voters, the majority of respondents reported they will be voting in favor of Amendment 2 to legalize sports betting, which will be appearing on the Nov. 5 general election ballot.

Polling numbers remain strong for sports betting despite a mounting opposition campaign in the state.

Men Supporting Sports Betting Legalization

The new poll of 850 expected voters shows that 52% support the legalization of sports betting in the state, with just 25% opposed. Unsurprisingly, men heavily favor the sports betting ballot initiative, with 59% of men supporting Amendment 2 compared with 46% of women.

“Missouri voters understand the potential for sports betting to deliver enormous benefits to our students and our teachers,” said Jack Cardetti, spokesperson for the Winning for Education Missouri campaign, in a released statement. “The revenue generated from legal sports betting will support our schools and provide much-needed funding to improve education across the state.”

Polling support for Missouri sports betting has remained strong. A Saint Louis University (SLU)/YouGov poll of 900 likely Missouri voters released in late August found that 50% of respondents support a constitutional amendment to legalize sports betting, compared with just 30% in opposition.

Young voters more favored sports betting legalization than older voters, with 64% of those in the 18 to 29 age group noting they would vote in its favor, the highest approval percentage for any age group in the poll. Only 44% of those 65 and over said they would vote in favor of the amendment.

Those with higher educational levels and income were more in favor of the sports betting amendment compared with those with less education and income.

Sports Betting Opposition Campaign Being Funded

Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment filed as a committee with the Missouri Ethics Commission on Sept. 10, officially opposing the sports betting initiative. The committee has received more than $4 million in funding from Caesars for its purposes.

According to multiple reports, Caesars is not in favor of the proposed ballot initiative, which would only provide the gaming company with one online sportsbook license if sports betting is approved in the state.

Caesars made the following contributions through its corporate entity and three separately owned land-based Missouri casinos:

• Caesars Enterprise Services: $156,202.79
• Tropicana St. Louis: $1,300,000
• Harrah’s North Kansas: $1,400,000
• Isle of Capri Boonville: $1,300,000

Under the proposed ballot initiative, the state’s casinos would receive a single online sports betting license and two untethered licenses will be available for sports betting companies to operate in Missouri. Caesars likely has a problem with this aspect of the proposed initiative, as previous iterations of Missouri sports betting bills allowed casino operators to have multiple online sports betting skins.

Each Missouri sports team and casino would be eligible to operate retail and online sports betting. Each team and casino would be eligible for one retail sports betting license through the bill. Additionally, each sports team and casino would be eligible for one online sports betting license. Each team and casino would be able to partner with one online sports betting operator.