Pro Team Franchises Want Sports Betting in Missouri

Just a week after it was announced that two sports betting bills had hit the Senate floor in Missouri, a very important group of interested parties have come out in favor of said bills. The two bills in question are SB852 and SB824. Both bills propose that Missouri's most important professional sports franchises be granted an opportunity to secure onsite and mobile sports betting. That's exactly the group that has made clear they would like to see sports betting legalized in their state.

The Teams That are Carrying the Sports Betting Banner

Throughout the nation, it has become very evident that the partnerships between mobile sports betting operators and professional sports franchises are mutually beneficial. For sports betting operators, the primary benefit is exposure at the point of attack. For professional sports franchises, the two primary benefits include an influx of marketing/advertising dollars, plus a lot of goodwill with sports bettors who appreciate getting the access.

With this in mind, here are the six (6) Missouri-based professional sports franchises that have recently submitted a collective petition to get a sports betting bill on the ballot for the November 2024 election:

• Kansas City Royals (MLB)
  
• St. Louis Cardinals (MLB)
  
• Kansas City Chiefs (NFL)
  
• St. Louis Blues (NHL)
  
• Kansas City Current (Women's Soccer)
  
• St. Louis City soccer teams
  

Speaking on behalf of the St. Louis Cardinals, President Bill DeWitt stated in a press release:

“We are united in our goal of supporting the legalization of sports wagering in Missouri in a reasonable, safe, and responsible way that is good for our teams, our fans, our Missouri teachers, and our other citizens of Missouri.”

By law, this petition will need to show 180,000 signatures of registered voters by May. For what it's worth, the group with help from Fanduel and DraftKings is footing the bill for getting the petition signed.

The History of Missouri Sports Betting Legislation

At best, some experts believe there is no more than a 10% chance that sports betting legislation will clear the fences in 2024. History proves out that it's a pretty fair assessment.

Several sports betting iterations have made it past the House only to lose steam in the Senate. The most recent iteration came in early 2023 when a bill passed by a vote of 118-35. However, it ended up "dead on arrival" by the time the Senate saw the bill.

With surrounding states like Illinois, Kansas, and Iowa already scooping up mounds of tax revenue from gross sports betting revenue, there's plenty of pressure on lawmakers to get something. The biggest obstacle might well be that dueling sides of the Senate can't decide what to do about certain aspects of sports betting and the possible need for regulation of slot-machine-style games.

Having sports betting support from pro sports franchises and residents should matter. It's up to Congress to figure out how to make it all work for everyone's benefit.