JEFFERSON CITY (KMOX/AP) - Four professional sports franchises in Missouri are joining the fight for legalized sports betting in the state.
Last week, a Jefferson City lawyer filed nine ballot proposals on the issue on behalf of the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, St. Louis City soccer club and Kansas City Royals, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. They hope to give voters a chance to approve the measure next year.
Efforts to allow legal sports gambling in Missouri have failed, mainly due to the competing interests of casinos and truck stop slot machines. The teams hope Missouri joins the nearly two dozen states where people can get on professional and college sports.
It's not clear exactly how much money sports betting in Missouri would generate for the state. But last year, it accounted for more than $49 million in New Jersey and more than $38 million in Pennsylvania.
Money from taxing sports betting would be split between schools and roads under the proposals.
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Republican Sen. Denny Hoskins has proposed several bills to legalize sports betting. But he warned that legalizing sports betting through the Missouri Constitution will mean lawmakers can’t easily address any potential issues with the program once it’s enacted.
In Missouri, proposals need a certain number of voter signatures to be put on the ballot. Backers haven’t started collecting signatures yet.
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