Missouri Narrowly Legalizes Sports Wagering

by: Max Landaw

In November, Missouri voters did not just go to the polls to elect the next president.  They also voted narrowly to pass Amendment 2 to the state constitution, which legalized sports wagering (including online sports wagering) and directed the Missouri Gaming Commission to make such sports wagering available by December 1, 2025.

The margin was so thin that although the vote took place on November 5, it was only in the last week that Missouri state election officials could confirm the passage of Amendment 2 with 50.5% of the vote.

Missouri was one of the notable holdouts from legal sports wagering as they boast six major professional sports teams which heavily backed the initiative.  With legalization now confirmed, 39 states plus Washington DC have now legalized sports betting.  This has all happened in the wake of the 2018 decision, Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association in which the Supreme Court struck down the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PAPSA). 

Interestingly, in this same election, Missouri voters voted against Amendment 5, which would have amended the state constitution to allow a casino to be built at the Lake of the Ozarks, further expanding casino gambling.  The margin was not as close as the passage of Amendment 2 with 52.5% of voters voting no and 47.5% voting yes.    

Originally published by InfoLawGroup LLP. If you would like to receive regular emails from us, in which we share updates and our take on current legal news, please subscribe to InfoLawGroup’s Insights HERE.