A recent national poll shows overwhelming support for sports betting across the country.
The industry has gained acceptance over the last few years as more states legalize sportsbooks and initial fears are put to rest.
For Missouri, the question is whether that favorable support of sports betting will play out in November. Voters are expected to decide the Missouri sports betting issue in a couple of months, though a lawsuit aims to take the question off the ballot.
Support for sports betting has risen nationally
The American Gaming Association (AGA) survey found that a substantial majority of Americans have embraced sports betting in the US. Two thousand people participated in the poll.
- 75% of respondents said they support legal sports betting in their home state
- 75% of respondents think the gaming industry as a whole operates responsibly in their respective communities
- 9 in 10 respondents said sports betting is an “acceptable form of entertainment”
In other words, sports betting is viewed favorably on the national level. That has changed over the years as the industry becomes less taboo and Chicken Little-like predictions fall by the wayside.
AGA Senior VP of Strategic Communications Joe Maloney said as much in response to the poll.
“These latest survey results highlight a consistent trend over the years: as gaming expands to new audiences, Americans increasingly see the benefits of a legal, regulated gaming marketplace that contributes to communities, prioritizes responsibility and provides unmatched entertainment.”
Latest poll shows a close vote in Missouri
That seemed to be the overall sentiment in Missouri as well over the past few years. As states around it legalized sports betting, it seemed like a no-brainer that the Show Me State would follow suit.
Of course, that didn’t happen, as lawmakers have been unable to get a sports betting bill on the governor’s desk to sign for the last three years. That inaction spawned the drive this year to bypass the General Assembly and get the question on November’s ballot.
While the AGA poll can buoy Missouri sports betting supporters, it shouldn’t be interpreted as a done deal.
Earlier this year, polls showed support for sports betting in Missouri. One poll conducted during the spring showed 60% support and just 25% opposed.
Just two months after that, however, a poll showed a complete reversal. Sixty percent of respondents were against sports betting and just 36% were for it. Recent polls indicate it could be a toss-up.
A June poll by Emerson College Polling/The Hill noted that 38.3% of Missouri residents want legal sports betting, 35.4% don’t want it, and 26.3% were still undecided.
Lawsuit aims to remove question from ballot
Missouri residents might not even be able to vote on sports betting in November.
Two Missouri residents filed a lawsuit after the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office certified the ballot initiative in August. In it, they claimed the wrong map was used to approve signatures and that signatures in certain districts were given more weight.
Winning for Missouri Education, the group responsible for collecting the signatures, has scoffed at the lawsuit. The PAC expects a judge to dismiss the suit later this week.
St. Louis Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III, who has been a vocal supporter of legalizing sports betting in Missouri, also said he does not believe the lawsuit will hold up. He told the Missouri Independent the suit is “completely without mertit.”
