Missouri Voters Approve Sports Betting

Along with state and federal candidates, voters were also asked to decide on several gambling-related proposals in Tuesday’s election.

Results were a bit mixed with sports betting getting approved in Missouri, while voters in that state also rejected a planned casino proposal. In Virginia, voters overwhelmingly approved a casino. Here’s a look at the results of these votes.

Missouri

Voters in Missouri approved Amendment 2 that legalized sports betting, including mobile wagering. The amendment sets the tax rate at 10% and operators would pay $500,000 for a license.

The issue was very close, with 50.1% voting in favor and 49.9% against, a difference of only about 4,400 votes.

Voters rejected Amendment 5, however, which would have allowed for an additional state casino license for the Lake of the Ozarks area. More than 52% of Missourians voted no on the proposal.

Arkansas

Voters in Arkansas were asked to tackle two gaming-related issues. Citizens approved Issue 1, which expands the tax revenue from the state’s lottery scholarship program to students choosing career and technical schools rather than just traditional colleges and universities.

The program has awarded 770,000 scholarships worth $1.4 billion since launching in 2009, with 92 cents of every dollar in lottery sales used to help the state’s students. Almost 90% voted to expand the program.

Issue 2 removes a casino license from Pope County that many residents opposed, and requires local elections for future licenses. That proposal was also passed with almost 56% of voters supporting a repeal of the license and creating the new casino election requirement.

Colorado

Voters approved a proposition that allows the state to keep excess sports betting tax revenue above a $29 million threshold to help fund water projects. The issue received approval from almost 76% of voters.

Virginia

Voters in the city of Petersburg were asked to approve a $1.4 billion casino project after voters in Richmond rejected the plan in 2021 and 2023. Petersburg, which is located about a half hour south of Richmond, saw residents approve the plan with around 80% of the vote.

Plans call for a mixed-use development on 92.5 acres that would include the state’s fifth casino.

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