On November 5th, Amendment 2 passed by a slim margin in MO, legalizing domestic sports betting in the state. How slim? Roughly 4,000 votes separated the yeas and nays.
The overseas and provisional ballots that have trickled in since then have been largely opposed to legal Missouri sports betting. Now, the gap between yes and no is separated by fewer than 2,900 votes.
Amendment 2’s passage will allow 21-and-older locals to wager on sports in person and online. The anticipated launch date is late summer 2025. The law requires that these sportsbooks must open by December 1, 2025.
Could There Be A Recount?
Yes. State law requires a margin of 0.5% or smaller to request a recount, and the current tally has cleared that mark. Amendment 2 opposition groups appear poised to accept the defeat despite these developments.
However, any voter in MO has the right to legally request a recount if the separation is small enough. 3,000 votes can be made up within a few city blocks in St. Louis, but there’s likely too much ground to make up.
The official tallies were reported to the Missouri Secretary of State yesterday, who will certify the results on December 10th.
What’s Next For Missouri
Now comes the regulatory process of licensing domestic sportsbooks and setting up general governance. Since MO is one of the final states left on the board to pass sports betting legislation, it has the benefit of molding its regulations based on prior models.
That means local sports betting venues could arrive sooner than their late summer 2025 projection. The goal is for them to open before the next NFL season begins.
In September of this year, many regions reported record-high sportsbook revenue, coinciding with the NFL season’s start. The National Football League is what drives most of the business at sportsbooks in the United States, with the ultimate wagering event being the Super Bowl each year.
Should they opt to apply, each Missouri casino will be granted a retail sportsbook license, so those could be the first venues to accept wagers in the state.
Can You Bet On Sports In MO Right Now?
Amendment 2 has authorized local sports betting but has not addressed offshore sportsbooks that have been accepting players in the state for years. Technically, gamblers in MO can place a sports bet today with an overseas book without violating local laws.
This creates a legal gray area that bettors have exploited and has the potential to continue to suck revenue out of the region.
