USA ELECTIONS SPECIAL: The U.S. presidential election–which appears to have been a runaway victory for Donald Trump–may have been the nail-biting main event of the early hours, but it wasn’t the only issue appearing on the ballot.
Across this vast nation, voters also faced a series of other high-stakes decisions: about the Senate, the House of Representatives, abortion rights, et cetera — and, in a number of key states, citizens were asked to vote on gambling liberalisation.
Not surprisingly, with so much putative sports betting and iGaming legislation on the line, our gambling industry was watching the multiple polling results very closely indeed.
Missouri Breaks
The biggest betting business news, to date, is that citizens of Missouri have voted for far-ranging retail and online sports betting in their “Show-Me” state, by the narrow margin of approximately 13,000 votes.
Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2 allows retail betting at 20 locations and 22 sports betting platforms in the midwestern state in the heart of America: 13 for the local land-based casinos, seven for the state’s professional sports leagues and an additional two stand-alone online licences.
With a competitive 10 percent tax rate on generated revenue–significantly lower than the national average–the funds raised would significantly enhance educational programs and support initiatives to prevent gambling addiction, argue boosters.
New constitutional amendments become law 30-days after an election in the U.S., meaning sports betting could be legal in Missouri as early as December 5.
While sports betting took centre stage on the ballot, Missouri voters were also asked to consider Amendment 5, which sought to authorise an additional riverboat casino on the Osage River.
This amendment didn’t pass, however, as 52 percent voted against it.
Meantime, as the counts roll in, betting brands nationwide are also awaiting outcomes in Virginia and Arkansas to see if voters have approved or rejected measures to expand gambling in their states.
The people of Colorado have also been asked if they would like to reallocate all taxes accrued from gambling to environmental projects.
Virginia Greenlights New Casino
It’s a win for Petersburg, Virginia, where voters have enthusiastically given the green light to the state’s fifth land-based casino.
The casino, operated by Cordish Group and located in Petersburg, is expected to cost U.S.$1.4 billion (£1.09bn/€1.5bn) to build.
When the state first passed sports betting in 2020, it also approved five brick-and-mortar casinos, one each in Bristol, Danville, Portsmouth, Norfolk, and Richmond, subject to voter approval.
But unlike the other cities, Richmond voters rejected plans not once but twice, passing the torch to Petersburg.
Yesterday, 81 percent of Petersburg voters gave the new casino a resounding “Yes!”
The Cordish Group–operating Live! Casinos in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana–has been a vocal opponent of iGaming, meaning the approval of this new casino might impact Virginia’s iGaming future.
But for now, it’s full steam ahead
Arkansas Paradox
In Arkansas, voters have approved Issue 2, which sounds like a win.
But, paradoxically, it actually removes prior permission for a new brick-and-mortar casino in Pope County. It also means any future casinos in the state must be approved by a local countywide vote.
Colorado’s Proposition JJ
Lastly, in Colorado, Proposition JJ asked voters to approve the redistribution of gambling taxes.
Sports betting, legalised in 2019, allows the state to collect 10 percent of revenue, with US$29 million (£22.5m/€31.2m) going towards water projects in the state.
The Proposition asked voters:
“Without raising taxes, may the state keep and spend all sports betting tax revenue above voter-approved limits to fund water conservation and protection projects instead of refunding revenue to casinos?”
Colorado’s electorate responded affirmatively, with over 75 percent voting to allow the state to use all gambling taxes for environmental projects.
