With a final spurt in the Missouri General Assembly, the country’s two largest sports betting operators are pushing hard to achieve their goal of crossing home base with a big payday.

A constitutional amendment to Legalize sports betting will be on the Nov. 5 ballot as Amendment 2, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s office said Tuesday, after determining that supporters in six congressional districts had enough signatures to put it on the ballot.

And a proposal for a higher minimum wage will be put to the vote as Proposition A. This is the third time a measure to increase the minimum wage has been put before voters. It has been successful both times before, and this time it is coupled with a requirement that all employers provide their employees with paid vacation at the rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked.

A third initiative to Allow a new casino for a license on the Osage River near Lake of the Ozarks was not chosen. The casino, which is in direct competition with a planned Osage Nation casino2,031 valid signatures were missing in the 2nd Congressional District.

Organizers of the initiative, called Osage River Gaming and Convention, said in a statement that they are considering their next step.

“We are confident that we will appear on the November 2024 ballot after all signatures are counted and verified,” spokesman Ed Rhode said in the statement.

Each initiative had to reach a minimum number of signatures in six of Missouri’s eight congressional districts to make it onto the ballot. In the 2nd District proposals, 11,732 signatures were deemed invalid.

A constitutional amendment protecting reproductive rights, including the right to abortion, was also upheld. Unless the Osage Casino ruling is reversed, it will four proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot and a change in the law, the minimum wage proposal. A majority vote is required for the adoption of each measure put to the vote.

The sports betting initiative was launched late last year after major sports teams and casino companies again frustrated with the adoption of laws. The publicity part of the campaign was taken over by major professional sports teamsbut the money – $6.3 million for the signature campaign – was provided by the two largest online sports betting platforms, FanDuel and DraftKings.

“Missouri is one step away from joining most other states in legalizing sports betting and providing millions of dollars to Missouri schools,” said St. Louis Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III in a statement from the Winning for Missouri Education campaign. “On behalf of all six of Missouri’s professional sports teams, I want to thank everyone who signed a petition to put this on the ballot.”

Each of these six teams could offer a branded betting platform to their fans and receive exclusive advertising rights in and around their stadiums. The online betting platforms could be licensed to operate independently of the teams and casinos, which would also have the opportunity to apply for a license.

The money won by the gambling industry would be taxed at 10% of the net amount after advertising and other costs. Kansas, where sports betting was legalized in 2022, has a similar tax structure. brought in $9.8 million, with a stake of $172 million in June.

The ballot text projects that Missouri will collect up to $28.9 million annually to be spent on education programs.

Sports betting was legalized in 38 states and the District of Columbia Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling that struck down federal laws banning sports betting nationwide, numerous fans have traveled to Illinois and Kansas to place bets.

“By keeping sports betting dollars in the state, we can invest in our students and communities and ensure a better future for Missouri,” said campaign spokesman Jack Cardetti.

The minimum wage and paid leave proposal builds on successful efforts in 2006 and 2018 to raise wages for low-income workers in Missouri.

The 2006 amendment set the wage at $6.50 per hour, while the federal minimum wage was $5.15 per hour. It also included an inflation adjustment that raised the minimum wage to $7.80 per hour by 2018.

This year, voters approved a measure to raise the minimum wage to $8.60, with built-in increases to $12 an hour by early 2023. The current rate of $12.30 an hour is due to a cost-of-living adjustment that takes effect on Jan. 1.

If approved, the minimum wage would increase to $13.75 per hour on January 1 and increase again to $15 per hour on January 1, 2026. After that, it would again be adjusted for inflation.

The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour and has not been increased since 2009.

A statement following the certification said the proposal would provide financial and health security for families by allowing workers to stay home if they are sick or a loved one needs care.

“Giving workers the right to paid sick days and raising the minimum wage is a big step in the right direction,” Lora Gulley, director of community mobilization and advocacy at Generate Health in St. Louis, said in the statement.

Supporters spent $855,000 to put Proposition A on the ballot, and the campaign fund had $1 million on hand as of June 30. More than $1 million of the money raised was donated by the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a Washington DC-based liberal dark money organization.