Latest Missouri Poll Shows Strong Support for Sports Betting

The charge to legalize sports betting in Missouri got a boost after a new poll this week. Saint Louis University and YouGov polled 900 voters over various topics, including sports betting. The result was 60% in favor of legalizing betting on pro sports, while just 25% were opposed and 14% were unsure.

While the poll strongly supports betting on pro sports, the same cannot be said for betting on college events. Only 47% supported this option, with 39% opposed and 14% unsure.

Missouri is one of just 12 states without some form of legal sports betting. While the industry has support, each proposal has died on the Senate floor. The House is currently reviewing and is expected to pass sports betting bill HB 2331, but there is little hope that it will be able to break through the roadblock in the Senate.

Proponents Seek to Circumvent Missouri Senate

Given the Missouri Senate’s reluctance to pass a sports betting bill, proponents are going directly to the public. The state’s pro sports teams have joined a signature-gathering effort to get sports betting on the November ballot. They have spent millions of dollars to gather over 171,000 signatures before May 5. 

If they meet the signature requirement by May 5, sports betting could become legal without Senate approval. There is no word on how many signatures they currently have, but it was reported to be over 100,000 last month. 

The ballot initiative has received mixed responses from state legislatures. Opponents believe that the public may not understand the full extent of the sports betting market, with concerns mainly focused on problem gambling. 

While resistance remains in the Senate, the ballot initiative could help change that. The November elections will be critical for a number of reasons, and few Senators will want to vote against a bill with so much public support. If the signature-gathering effort returns far more signatures than it needed, it could spur the Senate into action.