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Missouri Approves Sports Betting with Slim Margin, Legalization by 2025

Missouri-voters-narrowly-approve-sports-betting-amendment-reject-casino-at-Lake-of-the-OzarksIn a historic decision, Missouri voters have approved Amendment 2, making sports betting legal across the state. The measure, passed by just 0.256%, represents Missouri’s entry as the 39th state in the U.S. to legalize this form of gambling. The Secretary of State’s office reported a tight margin, with only 7,486 votes out of nearly 2.9 million cast separating approval from rejection. Although the amendment passed narrowly, the opposition group Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment has confirmed they will not seek a recount, even though Missouri law allows recounts for margins under 0.5%.

The push to legalize sports betting in Missouri has been fueled by neighboring states like Illinois and Kansas, which have already embraced regulated sports wagering. Following final certification, expected by December 10, Amendment 2 will take effect 30 days after the election. The Missouri Gaming Commission has until December 1, 2025, to establish licensed sports betting platforms statewide, allowing residents to bet both at casinos and via mobile apps.

What Amendment 2 Means for Sports Betting in Missouri

The passage of Amendment 2 opens up several betting options across Missouri. Once the market launches, residents will have access to both retail and online sports betting platforms. Professional sports teams in Missouri, including the Cardinals, Royals, and Chiefs, will be authorized to set up physical betting locations near their stadiums and offer branded mobile betting options.

Additionally, casinos in the state will be able to host sportsbooks on-site, with each casino eligible for an online sports betting license. Two additional online licenses will be available for platforms independent of casinos or sports teams, paving the way for major operators like DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Caesars Sportsbook.

Missouri will join Kansas in taxing adjusted gross gaming revenue from sports betting at 10%, a comparatively low rate among states with legalized sports wagering. This tax will support the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and a portion will fund the Compulsive Gambling Prevention Fund to help those affected by gambling addiction. However, the amendment’s approval as a constitutional measure makes any future tax rate adjustments challenging, as changes would require another statewide vote.

Proponents of Amendment 2 believe sports betting will contribute much-needed revenue to Missouri’s education budget. According to the Winning for Missouri Education campaign, which received over $14 million in backing from FanDuel and DraftKings, sports betting could generate over $100 million in new tax revenue within the first five years of legalization. In comparison, Kansas has collected more than $20 million in tax revenue since it launched sports betting in 2022, directing funds toward attracting professional sports teams.

Missouri’s Journey to Legal Sports Betting and Broader Implications

Missouri’s journey to legalized sports betting has been marked by legislative challenges. Despite significant support for legalization in Kansas City and counties like Jackson, Clay, and Platte, efforts repeatedly stalled within the state legislature due to opposition from various interest groups. However, with Amendment 2’s approval, Missouri residents can expect betting options similar to those in surrounding states like Illinois, Iowa, and Tennessee.

Notably, the amendment includes restrictions, such as prohibiting prop bets on college athletes from Missouri-based institutions, which aligns with measures in other states. This stipulation reflects a cautious approach to collegiate sports wagering intended to address ethical and integrity concerns associated with betting on amateur athletes.

The American Gaming Association (AGA) reports that the U.S. sports betting industry reached a record $10.92 billion in revenue in 2023, underscoring the industry’s potential as a revenue source for Missouri. Nevertheless, revenue from sports betting, while valuable, is not anticipated to fully address Missouri’s educational funding needs, with estimates suggesting it may cover only a small fraction of the state’s annual $10 billion education budget.

With more than 35 states permitting some form of sports gambling, Missouri’s approval of Amendment 2 reflects a continued national trend toward legalizing sports betting. However, Oklahoma remains the lone border state holding out against sports betting, further distinguishing Missouri’s choice to capitalize on the industry. This decision also highlights the growing influence of major online gaming operators, with FanDuel and DraftKings spearheading the initiative in Missouri to significant effect.

Missouri’s sports fans can anticipate their first legal bets as early as December 2025, marking a new chapter for the Show-Me State’s gaming landscape.

Source:

“All in: Missouri Voters Pass Amendment 2, Legalize Sports Gambling“, kshb.com, November 6, 2024. 

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Woman Shot at Missouri Casino Garage, Fighting for Life in Hospital

A 27-year-old woman suffered life-threatening injuries after she was wounded Saturday in the parking garage at Missouri’s Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St. Charles.

Missouri’s Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St. Charles
Missouri’s Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St. Charles, pictured above. A woman was shot in a parking garage there. (Image: X)

The unnamed victim required surgery at a local hospital after she was shot in the neck at about 2:30 a.m., according to St. Louis, Mo. TV station KTVI.

St. Charles Police Department were alerted and rushed to the scene.

The victim, who was on the second floor of the parking facility, was able to reveal to officers the name of her shooter.

A short time later, Calvin Koong, 50, of St. Louis, was charged with first-degree domestic assault, first-degree kidnapping, and armed criminal action.

He remained in custody at the St. Charles County Jail as of late Saturday. His bond was set at $500K.

Police said he was the victim’s boyfriend.

Victim in Parked Car

Based on casino surveillance video, the victim was inside a car owned by Koong, according to Missouri TV station KSDK.

She was in the driver’s seat and the driver’s door was opened. The woman apparently tried to leave the vehicle. Koong pushed the woman back into the car and the two got into what was described as a struggle, police said.

She eventually was able to flee from the car. But a few feet away she fell down on the garage pavement after getting wounded.

Good Samaritans rushed over to help her and provide emergency first aid. They also alerted authorities.

Koong ran away, but was blocked from leaving the area because of a concrete barrier in the parking garage.

An Ameristar Casino security guard soon arrived and spotted Koong.

Confessed to Shooting

The guard apprehended the suspect. He confessed to the guard, “I shot her. I shot her.” Koong also later confessed to police officers, KSDK reported.

Officers arrested Koong. They also searched the suspect’s car and found a firearm. It was seized as evidence.

The case was turned over to local prosecutors. If convicted, Koong could be sentenced to prison.

Police didn’t reveal a motive for the shooting.

The victim was rushed to the hospital’s emergency room. No word on the victim’s condition as of late Saturday. Details on her injuries weren’t immediately released by police.

Charges could be upgraded if the woman doesn’t survive.

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Missouri Man Shot Dad Dead, Hit Casino with His Credit Cards

A Lake Saint Louis, Mo. man suspected of shooting his father dead went to the Ameristar Casino St Charles with the victim’s credit card right after the alleged crime, The Saint Louis Dispatch reports.

Joseph M. Liszewski, Edward Liszewski, Lake Saint Louis, Ameristar St Charles
Joseph M. Liszewski in a Lake Saint Louis Police mugshot. The 39-year-old has admitted killing his father with a shotgun before heading out to the Ameristar Casino, according to a police report. (Image: KMOV)

Joseph M. Liszewski, 39, was charged with first-degree murder last Thursday following the discovery of his father’s body at the Lake Saint Louis home they shared.

When police later arrived at the house, Liszewski told them his father had inadvertently stepped on a shotgun and shot himself. That’s according to a probable cause statement seen by local media.

The suspect added that he didn’t know where his father was. Police suspected he had taken drugs.

Earlier, Liszewski was captured on security video at the Ameristar Casino St Charles, just hours after police suspect he killed his father.

Traumatic Event

Officers noticed there were dried drops of blood on the front porch of the house. In the hallway and kitchen, they found more blood, this time in splatters and pools, according to the report.

Officers concluded there was “obviously a traumatic event that had happened in the kitchen.”

Upstairs, they found the victim deceased and with a large gunshot wound to the left side of his face. He was covered by a comforter.

Police did not identify the victim by name. But neighbors who spoke to the Dispatch identified him as Edward Liszewski, 72.

Confession

Jospeh Liszewski, who has a history of DUI charges, was detained at the scene and booked on a $1 million bond. When police searched him, they found the suspect had his father’s bank cards and ID.

The suspect admitted that he and his father had gotten into an argument between midnight and 1am on Thursday morning.

He had killed his father in the kitchen with the shotgun, he stated. His father said, “You shot me, you shot me, you shot me,” according to the police report.

The suspect claimed he then tried to help his father by washing his face and placing towels on the wounds.

‘Blood and Guns’

Police were initially called to the crime scene after receiving a 911 call from a friend of the suspect. She had received text messages from Liszewski after he had returned from the casino.

Liszewski had told her “something terrible happened” and he “did it for her.”

The woman went to the house to check on him and found “blood and guns all over the place,” according to the probable cause statement.

Liszewski was also charged with armed criminal action and unlawful possession of a firearm.

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Missouri Casinos in St. Louis County Retain Smoking After Ordinance Extinguished

Missouri casinos in St. Louis County were facing a potential smoking ban after local government officials motioned to prohibit indoor smoking at the two gaming venues.

Missouri casinos smoking St. Louis County
A smoker puffs on a cigarette while a person in the background covers their face in an attempt to avoid secondhand smoke. Missouri casinos in St. Louis County will continue allowing indoor smoking on certain sections of their gaming floors after local officials decided against an indoor smoking ban. (Image: Adobe Stock)

St. Louis County borders the independent city of St. Louis. The county is home to two commercial casinos, Hollywood Casino St. Louis in Maryland Heights, and River City Casino Lemay. Both properties are operated by Penn Entertainment, which was Penn National Gaming until a year ago this month when the Pennsylvania-based gaming firm underwent a rebranding.

Dr. Kanika Cunningham, the county health department director, encouraged the casino smoking ban to be implemented. Currently, the two casinos can designate up to 30% of their gaming floors for indoor smoking.

Even if there are partial smoking restrictions, there’s no way to allow for smoke-free air,” Cunningham said before the council in May. “The current ventilation systems can reduce the odor but it does not reduce the level of hazardous exposure.”

Officials representing Penn Entertainment took the other side and petitioned the St. Louis County Council to vote against the proposal to eliminate indoor casino smoking. The company argued that such a regulation would place its two Missouri casinos at a competitive disadvantage with casinos elsewhere in the Show-Me State, including casinos in St. Louis proper and East St. Louis, Il.

Penn’s argument resonated, as the County Council shelved the no-smoking ordinance during its Tuesday night meeting.

Hollywood Casino reported to the Missouri Gaming Commission having 685 employees at the end of 2022. River City reported 610 employees.

Patchwork Smoking Regulatory Environment

Missouri lawmakers took a bit of an atypical approach to regulating indoor smoking when they passed the state’s Clean Indoor Air Law in 2002. The statute prohibits indoor tobacco use in most public and private places, including workplaces, most retail and commercial establishments, schools and places of learning, restaurants that don’t derive the majority of their revenue from alcohol or tobacco sales, childcare facilities, and health care facilities.

Exemptions were provided for bars and taverns, bowling alleys, billiard parlors, and gaming venues like casinos. The state law tasked counties and municipalities with determining whether to allow smoking inside those kinds of businesses. The state statute does limit indoor smoking to no more than 30% of the total indoor floor space.

The state law doesn’t require exempt places from offering indoor smoking areas.

Competitive Landscape

Missouri is home to 13 riverboat and land-based casinos, and all remain with indoor smoking sections. Penn’s two properties are among the most successful of the baker’s dozen of casinos.

During the state’s 2023 fiscal year that ended June 30, River City generated gross gaming revenue (GGR) of more than $254.8 million. That ranked second in the state behind only Ameristar Casino Resort St. Charles at $303 million. Penn’s Hollywood Casino ranked third at approximately $243.6 million.

Casinos share 21% of their gross gaming income with the state and, additionally, pay a $2 per person admission tax. River City counted about 4.1 million patrons during the 12-month period, while Hollywood Casino welcomed about 3.7 million guests.

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Missouri Slot-Like Gaming Devices Lead to More Litigation

Lawsuits are piling up against Missouri video gaming machine company Torch Electronics. The newest one is from TNT Amusements which claims the slot machine-like devices are illegal and hurt its bottom line.

An example of a no-chance gaming device
An example of a no-chance gaming device, pictured above. Such devices are leading to litigation in Missouri. (Image: Missouri Independent)

TNT alleges Torch violates state consumer law and federal criminal statutes, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. TNT also claims Torch is taking part in fraud.

Torch does not have a Missouri gaming license and does not operate its amusement devices in a casino,” the lawsuit stated, according to the news report.

“Businesses have limited floor space and every spot taken up by an illegal Torch device is a spot taken away from a legal amusement device such as those offered by TNT.”

The 56-page litigation was filed last week in Missouri’s Eastern District court. It seeks treble damages.

TNT provides amusement games and is owned by Jim Turntine.

The same company previously filed a lawsuit against Torch in 2019. Back then, TNT attempted to get Torch to remove its gaming machines at a truck stop. So far, that litigation was unsuccessful.

Class Action Lawsuit

Earlier this month, another lawsuit was filed in federal court against Torch for players who lost money while using the company’s devices. It could become a class action lawsuit and represent many disgruntled players.

It is really so cruel to people who have gambling problems to place them in these situations,” Joe Jacobson, the attorney who filed the litigation, told the Missouri Independent newspaper.

“It is like being a cocaine addict and everywhere you go, there are lines of coke sitting on bar tops.”

Torch gaming devices are found in many convenience stores and truck stops in the state. Torch terminals resemble slot machines. A player puts in money, selects a game to play, and then selects a wager, the Post-Dispatch explained in a report. Winners get paid by a cashier at the business where terminals are located.

Missouri is now debating the legalization of sports betting. But some in the legislature want to see a video gambling bill enacted that would clearly regulate the devices provided by Torch. State officials have left it up to local prosecutors whether to litigate the use of the Torch machines.

So far, there was only one successful Missouri prosecution of the Torch devices. It took place in Platte County. Those gaming machines were seized and destroyed.

Torch Electronics has responded its devices are legal under state law because players are given the chance to see the outcome of the game before they continue, the Independent reported.

No-Chance Games

Torch further contends its gaming machines are legal because there is no “element of chance,” according to the Post-Dispatch.

Company officials further say their machines “fall outside the definition of a ‘gambling device’ under Missouri law,” the Post-Dispatch reported. They call them “no-chance game machines.”

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