Sports Wagering is Now Legal in Missouri
Yesterday morning, the final votes were tallied, and sports wagering was approved by the voters of Missouri. It was a very slim margin of victory – roughly 7,500 votes – but a victory, nonetheless.
While sports wagering is now legal in Missouri, there will still be a regulatory rulemaking and licensing process. The amendment stated that the Commission must elect a universal launch date for sports wagering that is before December 1, 2025. We suspect that the launch of the market will come much sooner than December 1, as the Commission has already been preparing for the eventual regulation of sports wagering. Under the ballot language, the Commission has wide latitude to borrow from existing state regulatory models which could expedite the launch of the market. The new law says, “The Commission shall examine the rules implemented in other states where sports wagering is conducted and shall, as far as practicable, adopt a similar regulatory framework … “
See the full ballot measure language here.