JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Amendment 2 was passed by voters on Election Day, but questions still remain about how soon Missourians will be able to wager on their favorite team.
After months of campaigning, and millions of dollars spent for and against Amendment 2, sports betting passed in the Show Me State by just over 4300 votes.
“It really kind of came down to the wire,” Covers Senior Editor Ryan Butler said.
“It was so tight that if I took the number of fans that fit in St. Louis University’s Chaifetz Arena that would be enough to sway the entire vote,” SLU professor Steven Rogers said.
Though the final tally was within the margins for a recount, Ryan Butler, Senior Editor of Covers.com, says that’s unlikely to happen.
“The opposition group that funded the 'no' campaign is Caesars, which owns three casinos in Missouri,” Butler said. “They pulled out near the end of the race. Their financial investments in it slowed down. They would be the party most likely to stop this, but then again they’re expected to get a sportsbook.”
Barring a legal challenge, Missouri has until Dec. 1, 2025, to launch sports betting across the state.
“Typically, it's a 6-9 month process,” Butler said. “That process includes laboratory testing of the sports books. It includes checking personnel and employees. It includes coming up with a betting catalog, and what events you can't bet on, stuff like that."
Though sports betting has been legal in Illinois since 2020, Butler says Missouri gamblers can expect to see a few differences from the way things are done across the river.
“In Illinois, you can’t bet on the Illini,” Butler said. “You can’t bet on any team there. In Missouri, you will be able to, but only point spread, total, money line. No props.”
According to Butler, it's expected that in person betting at casinos will launch within 3-6 months, while online sports betting is launched at a later date.