A new lawsuit aims to prevent the question of sports betting in Missouri from being included on the ballot this November.
The filing in the Circuit Court of Cole County against Missouri Secretary of State John Ashcroft asserts that Ashcroft’s certification of the sports wagering petition was unconstitutional.
The plaintiffs allege that Ashcroft incorrectly calculated the necessary number of valid signatures for the petition to appear on the ballot. In doing so, they argue, the campaign did not actually reach the required threshold for signatures in all necessary Missouri counties.
To qualify a petition to make the ballot, it must receive signatures from 8% of legal voters in six of Missouri’s eight congressional districts, equating to around 170,000 signatures. The Winning for Missouri Education coalition submitted more than 340,000 signatures in favor of sports betting being placed on the ballot. The referendum was approved on the deadline day of Aug. 13.
However, the plaintiffs in the case argue that Ashcroft’s office did not use the new districts, redrawn in 2020, when it calculated the signatures on the sports betting issue, despite using the current district lines to determine where the signatories lived.
The lawsuit argues that if the count had been based on current district lines, it would have failed to garner enough votes in both the 1st and the 5th Congressional Districts, which are both officially listed as having voted strongly enough in favor. It also alleges that some signatures that were deemed to be valid were not legal in those two districts.
If the judge in the matter rules in favor of the plaintiffs, sports betting will not appear on the November election ballot.
Sports teams want sports betting
The Missouri sports betting push has gathered steam this year, with sports teams and casino companies advocating for the legalization of sports wagering. The Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals have all supported the initiative. The Missouri conversation continues at a time when the neighboring state of Kansas is attempting to lure the Chiefs and/or the Royals over the border.
As well as major pro teams publicly voicing support, FanDuel and DraftKings have put up a combined $10 million in support of the campaign, more than $6 million of which went towards helping to gather signatures.
Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that, “this effort to decertify our ballot initiative is completely without merit, as Missourians came out in force to sign the petition that will be on the ballot in November.”
If approved, every Missouri sports team and casino would have legal standing to secure an online sports betting license through a partnership with one online sports betting operator. The proposal to legalize online sports betting would tax operators’ winnings at 10%. Estimates from proponents have suggested online sports betting could bring in around $29 million annually in tax revenue.
