ST. LOUIS — In November, Missouri voters will be able to decide if sports betting should be legalized. Proponents say it will give local school districts a big boost. Opponents worry legalized gambling could lead to addiction.
Sports betters who live in Missouri say they often cross the river to legally bet in Illinois. Now professional sports teams want Missouri to get on board.
After years of back and forth with lawmakers leading to no action - in just a matter of months, the decision will be in the hands of voters.
"I love my city and the Cardinals are number one,” said Althiea Carnes.
“They’re my team. What can I say? I follow them closely and I hope they do well,” Rich Moore added.
What if you could soon place a bet on whether your team will win a specific game? In Missouri, that's not legal but it may be soon.
Tuesday, election officials confirmed they've verified enough signatures to have legalizing sports betting placed on the November ballot. Organizers said 340,000 people signed the petition.
"I'm with it because I'll be the one betting too,” Brandy Duke added.
"I mean, they do it already in Illinois. Why doesn't everybody pretty much? I agree with it,” Donovan Greene added.
But not everyone does.
“Too much betting going on already. If you want to do it in Illinois or whatever you can,” Moore said.
Critics have expressed concerns over the potential of gambling addiction. Under the proposal, Missouri would tax all bets at 10%. $5 million would be allocated to prevent gambling addiction. The rest of the money would go to schools.
"On behalf of all six of Missouri's professional sports teams, I would like to thank everyone who signed a petition to get this on the ballot," Cardinals President Bill Dewitt said in a statement. "A vote for Amendment 2 in November is the right thing to do for both Missouri public schools and our favorite sports teams."
"I mean, when I started sports betting, it made me watch the games a lot more. So I get it,” Greene said.
"They got casinos all over the place. You know, this is all the gambling you want,” Moore said.
Eight states border Missouri. All of them allow for sports betting, except for Oklahoma. If passed in Missouri, you could potentially place your bets at casinos or directly with the team of your choice.
The decision will be in voters’ hands come November 5th.