On election night, Missouri became the first – and likely only – state to approve a statewide expansion of gaming in 2024. And it took the electorate, not the legislature, to get the job done.
Missouri voters narrowly passed Amendment 2, 50.1 percent-50 percent. In terms of votes, there were 1,468,306 for, and 1,463,940 against, for a margin of 4,366 votes, according to the secretary of state’s website. That margin was considerably tighter than what many consider the closest legal wagering initiative in history, when Colorado voters legalized sports betting by 44,033 votes in 2019.
The new law allows for each land-based casino and seven professional sports teams to apply for a digital betting license. Two stand-alone digital licenses will also be available.
“This is a huge victory for Missouri fans and for the diverse coalition that worked together to pass Amendment 2,” Sports Betting Alliance (SBA) lobbyist Jeremy Kudon said via email. “Amendment 2 won even despite a historic $14 million spent in opposition – the most ever spent against a Missouri initiative. We are grateful to the Missouri professional sports teams who helped lead this effort and for the broad coalition that made this possible.”