Missouri voters on Tuesday night narrowly approved an amendment to legalize sports betting, but turned down a proposal to create a new casino license for the Lake of the Ozarks area.

By 5 a.m., with only one county yet to report, 50.23% of voters had supported Amendment 2, a slim margin of just over 13,000 votes. The Missouri Independent has called the result, though the Associated Press has not yet confirmed it. If the outcome stands, Missouri will be the only state this year to legalize sports wagering.

Given the tight margin, a recount is possible, although recounts are not automatically triggered in Missouri.

Amendment 2 received backing from the state’s professional sports teams and most of its casino operators, as well as DraftKings and FanDuel, who were frustrated by the legislature’s repeated delays in passing sports betting legislation.

Big Spending by Sportsbooks

DraftKings and FanDuel spent nearly $41 million on a campaign named “Winning for Missouri Education” to support the amendment. Meanwhile, Caesars Entertainment, the only casino operator in Missouri opposing the initiative, invested $14 million in a campaign against it. Caesars objected to the amendment because it would allow online sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel to operate without partnering with local casinos.

Under the new amendment, Missouri’s 13 licensed casinos will be able to offer sports betting both on-site and through mobile platforms. Additionally, six of the state’s professional sports teams will be permitted to offer in-person sports betting near their stadiums and through a mobile app. Two online sports betting licenses will also be available to operators without casino or team affiliations.

Lake of the Ozarks Casino Plan Rejected

While the results for Amendment 2 may be close, voters were clear in rejecting Amendment 5, which would have allowed a casino near artificial bodies of water, creating a 14th casino license for the Lake of the Ozarks area. Missouri’s current constitution limits casinos to river locations.

The proposal, supported by Bally’s Corp and the Osage River Gaming and Convention Committee (OGCC), sought to build a casino at the popular tourist destination. However, the amendment’s failure benefits the Osage Nation, an Oklahoma-based tribe with plans to develop Missouri’s first tribal casino in the area. The tribe’s proposal is currently awaiting federal approval.

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