Missouri Sports Team Join Effort to Support 2024 Sports Betting Initiative

Missouri will again attempt to legalize sports betting in 2024, but they will have some help this time. The St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, Kansas City Current, and St. Louis City have formed a coalition to support the new push to legalize the industry. 

The coalition is looking to gather at least 180,000 signatures needed to get sports betting on the ballot in 2024, avoiding the roadblock that has been the Missouri State Senate. The Cardinals and Blues kicked the effort off over the weekend as they gathered signatures from fans during events they hosted. 

“We are united in our goal of supporting the legalization of sports wagering in Missouri in a reasonable, safe, and responsible way that is good for our teams, our fans, our Missouri teachers, and our other citizens of Missouri,” Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III said in a statement.

In addition to the newly formed coalition, FanDuel, and DraftKings each donated $250,000 to help support the effort. 

The sports betting initiatives being supported would allow up to 19 retail sportsbooks and two online operators in the state. All revenue from the industry would be used to support local schools and the state’s problem gambling programs.

Two New Sports Betting Bills Being Considered

Aside from the ballot initiative supported by the coalition and sportsbooks, two new bills have been proposed in the Missouri legislature. While both would legalize the industry, one of those bills includes legalizing a slot-style lottery game. That bill was proposed by State Senator Denny Hoskins, who has refused to support sports betting without legalizing the controversial game.

Hoskins has been the leading reason for the failure of previous sports betting initiatives. He has filibustered past efforts, squashing strong support for each bill. He has stated that he does not plan to change course, which is a significant reason why the coalition has jumped into action.