Missouri judge says sports betting question can remain on November ballot - Missourinet

Missourians could get to vote after all on whether to legalize sports betting.

Cole County Judge Daniel R. Green has rejected an attempt to remove the sports betting question from the November general election ballot. Opponents of the measure filed suit last month, saying that the Secretary of State’s office mishandled the process for verifying signatures collected from voters, and that, as a result, the measure fell short by more than 600 valid signatures.

“Winning for Missouri Education,” the campaign trying to legalize sports betting in the Show Me State, calls Friday’s ruling “a big victory for Missourians.”

“For too many years, Missourians have watched as fans cross state lines to place sport bets, which deprives our Missouri public schools of much needed funding. A vote for Amendment 2 in November will bring those dollars back to Missouri classrooms,” said spokesman Jack Cardetti.

The initiative would include a 10% revenue tax that would benefit the state’s public schools.

St. Louis Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III has led a consortium of professional sports in Missouri in favor of legalizing sports betting.

“Missouri is now just one step away from joining most other states in legalizing sports betting and being able to provide millions of dollars to Missouri classrooms,” DeWitt said. “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. A vote for Amendment 2 in November is the right thing to do for both Missouri public schools and our favorite sports teams.”

An appeal could be filed. The deadline for removing initiatives from the November ballot is 5 p.m. Tuesday.

The general election is scheduled for Tuesday, November 5.