The Big Lead

Missouri becomes 39th state to legalize sports betting

By Joe Lago

Nov 4, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (8) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown during the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Nov 4, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (8) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown during the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
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By the narrowest of margins, another state voted to make sports betting legal on Tuesday.

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Thirty-nine states now have legalized sports gambling after Missouri voters passed Amendment 2, which reportedly was approved by a margin of 7,500 votes out of 2.9 million cast.

The campaign to legalize sports gambling called Winning for Education was supported by every major professional sports team in Missouri. It reportedly also received more than $40 million in contributions generated by lobbyists, with the most of the funding coming from online sportsbooks DraftKings and FanDuel.

"Missouri has some of the best sports fans in the world and they showed up big for their favorite teams on Election Day,” St. Louis Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III said in a news release on Wednesday.

The number of states without sports betting is now down to 11. They are Alabama, Alaska, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Utah.

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