A political action committee says it collected nearly double the number of required signatures to get sports betting on the ballot in Missouri.
Winning for Missouri Education said it turned in 340,000 signatures to the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office Thursday. The deadline is May 5. According to Missouri law, a ballot initiative requires just 180,000 valid signatures from Missouri residents.
It will now be up to Missouri voters to decide in November if they want to make the Show Me State the 39th state to offer legal sports betting.
Missouri’s professional sports teams key in initiative
The PAC came about because of lawmakers’ failure to pass Missouri sports betting legislation the last several years. A coalition of professional sports teams in Missouri created the PAC to bypass the General Assembly and get the question in front of voters this year.
The Kansas City Chiefs have won the last two Super Bowls and enjoy tremendous fan support. Along with MLB’s Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals, the Chiefs are eager to open a sportsbook at their home stadium.
Winning for Missouri Education spokesperson Jack Cardetti thanked the teams this week.
“We are grateful for the support from Missouri’s professional sports franchises, who have been crucial in creating the opportunity for Missourians to vote directly on this issue in November.”
PAC shifts sports betting debate to education funding
Winning for Missouri Education aims to require tax revenue from legal sports betting to fund public education.
The activist group has been shifting the debate over sports betting. It has emphasized how Missouri lags behind its neighbors in spending on education, Cardetti said.
“As one of only 12 states without legalized sports betting, Missouri took a significant step forward today in ensuring that these revenues stay in Missouri to help our communities and classrooms.”
According to the group, Missouri teachers’ salaries are among the lowest in the US. It says more money is desperately needed to bolster an underfunded education system that serves nearly a million students. The National Center for Education Statistics reported approximately 930,000 students enrolled in Missouri elementary and secondary schools in 2023.
If the Secretary of State’s Office ratifies the signatures, a referendum will appear on the ballot in November.
