Missourians File Lawsuit to Remove Sports Betting Law from November Ballot
Date: 2024-08-23 Author: Robert Beloved Categories: SPORTS BETTING
Two Missourians, Blake Lawrence and Jacqueline Wood, have filed a lawsuit seeking to remove a proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize sports betting from the Nov. 5 ballot. They claim that Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft erred in reviewing the petition, improperly determining that the amendment met the criteria to appear on the ballot.
Insufficient Signatures
As reported by The St. Louis Post Dispatch, a lawsuit filed in Cole County Circuit Court, alleges that Ashcroft used new district lines drawn after the 2020 Census to determine where petition signers reside, but then used the old lines to calculate the required number of signatures in different districts.
According to the complaint, if the process had been followed correctly, St. Louis's First District and Kansas City's Fifth District in Missouri would not have met the required signature threshold to advance the amendment. The lawsuit also says that most of the signatures verified in those districts are legally invalid, further undermining the proposal's legitimacy.
Missouri requires signatures from 8% of registered voters in six of the state's eight districts to place a petition on the ballot, based on the results of the most recent gubernatorial election. The lawsuit accuses Ashcroft of not using a uniform statewide criterion to calculate the signature requirement, but changing the threshold based on old county lines.
Legalized Betting Could Bring Significant Benefits
The proposed amendment would impose a 10% tax on bets and allow professional sports clubs in the state and 13 Missouri casinos to set up their own retail and online betting platforms. Supporters of the amendment say it would bring millions of dollars in revenue to the state and legalize what many residents already do illegally or through out-of-state operators.
The Royals, Blues, and Cardinals mascots have thrown their weight behind the initiative, personally delivering boxes of signatures to show support from the state’s sports clubs. St. Louis Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III, a leading proponent of legalized betting, questioned the validity of the lawsuit, noting that the petition has received significant support across the state.
The lawsuit has been assigned to Cole County Judge Cotton Walker, who will decide whether the bill will remain on the ballot or be removed. The case could have a significant impact on Missouri's gaming industry and the national debate over legalizing sports betting in the state.
