Lawsuit Filed Against Missouri November Sports Betting Ballot

A lawsuit filed in the Cole County Circuit Court by political consultants Jacqueline Wood and Blake Lawrence alleges that the methodology used by Missouri Secretary of State John (Jay) Ashcroft to certify the sports betting ballot initiative is unconstitutional. The plaintiffs argue that Ashcroft’s office relied on outdated voter data from the 2020 gubernatorial election to determine the required number of signatures in each congressional district.

The lawsuit contends that Missouri’s congressional map was redrawn after the 2020 election, and the new boundaries should have been used to verify the signatures. According to the suit, this change resulted in insufficient numbers of signatures being gathered in the 1st and 5th congressional districts, rendering the initiative ineligible for the ballot.

In response to the lawsuit, the campaign behind the sports betting initiative, Winning for Missouri Education, has filed a motion to intervene. The campaign argues that the effort to decertify the ballot measure is “completely without merit” and that Missourians have demonstrated their support by signing the petition in large numbers.

The state’s professional sports teams, led by the St. Louis Cardinals, have been advocates for sports betting in Missouri for several years. The Cardinals’ president, Bill DeWitt III, has expressed his support for the initiative, stating that the lawsuit is an attempt to undermine the will of the people.

The sports betting ballot initiative has received significant financial backing from leading sportsbooks, such as FanDuel and DraftKings, who have contributed over $10 million to the Winning for Missouri Education campaign. This funding has helped with the signature-gathering process and will now be used to educate Missourians about sports betting.

Polling data on the issue of sports betting in Missouri has been mixed. Earlier this year, two polls suggested that around 60% of the state’s voters support the legalization of sports betting. However, a more recent poll from Emerson College and Nexstar Media found that only 38.3% of voters are in favor, with another 26.3% undecided.

If the lawsuit is successful in disqualifying the sports betting ballot initiative, it could have significant implications for the future of the industry in Missouri. Supporters of the measure argue that it would provide much-needed revenue for the state’s educational institutions, while opponents claim that it could lead to increased gambling addiction and other social ills.

The legalization of sports betting in Missouri could also have implications for the state’s professional sports teams. The ballot measure specifically mentions that sports betting would be restricted to the state’s casinos and sports teams, potentially opening up new revenue streams for these organizations.