Missouri

Campaigns behind MO abortion, sports betting initiatives confident they’ll get signatures

Published

2 years ago

April 18, 2024

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Campaigns behind MO abortion, sports betting initiatives confident they’ll get signatures

More than $10 million, much of it from outside the state, has been raised to push proposals for abortion rights, sports wagering and raising the minimum wage.

Rudi Keller
| Missouri Independent/www.missouriindependent.com

Three initiative campaigns say they are on track to submit signatures that would put measures to legalize abortion and sports wagering, and to increase the minimum wage, on Missouri’s ballot this year.

Campaign finance reports filed this week show more than $10 million, much of it from out-of-state organizations, has been raised to fuel the campaigns. Only one opposition group, seeking to prevent abortion rights from making the ballot, is active. And its resources, much of it from Catholic churches, total less than $100,000.

The reports, which were due Monday, show who is backing the ballot measures as campaigns prepare to deliver signatures by May 5. Some campaigns used the deadline to issue public statements showing confidence of success.

When Missourians for Constitutional Freedom announced plans to begin collecting signatures for its abortion rights initiative in mid-January, leaders estimated the campaign would need to raise $5 million to successfully gather enough signatures to make the ballot.

The report filed Monday, covering the first three months of the year, shows the campaign has raised $4.9 million. Additional reports of large contributions filed since April 1 show another $435,000 in contributions.

Of that amount, 3,206 individual Missourians have contributed $1.8 million. Of the top 15 donors, eight are from Missouri and gave $850,000. The seven donors who gave the most, making up more than half the total raised, are national advocacy organizations.

The largest single donor to the campaign is the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a liberal dark money organization based in Washington, D.C., that gave $1 million.

“We’re so grateful to the tens of thousands of Missourians who have chipped in, volunteered, and signed on to fuel our grassroots campaign that will end Missouri’s total abortion ban and put families — not politicians — back in charge of personal medical decisions,” Rachel Sweet, campaign manager, said in a news release.

The abortion rights proposal would amend the state constitution to protect abortion up to the point of fetal viability. It would also protect other reproductive health care, including contraceptive access, if approved by voters.

There were times in 2023 when it seemed like the campaign would fail to launch because of a lengthy court battle over the ballot language. Eventually, the Western District Court of Appeals struck down the ballot language written by Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft as “replete with politically partisan language.”

That ruling, however, came only after months of wrangling over whether Attorney General Andrew Bailey could derail the initiative by refusing to certify the fiscal summary.

The opposition group, Missourians Stands With Women, has raised $84,567 to fund its “Decline to Sign” campaign, with $25,000 coming from Catholic dioceses and archdiocese and another $20,000 from Republican committees designed to elect GOP legislators.

The sports wagering campaign, organized by the state’s professional sports teams under the leadership of the St. Louis Cardinals, is being funded entirely by the two largest online sports wagering platforms, FanDuel and DraftKings.

The campaign, under the name Winning for Missouri Education, reported raising $4 million through March 31 and $2.1 since that date. The committee has spent $3.3 million, according to the report filed Monday.

The cost has been shared almost equally between the two online platforms.

The proposal would allow online platforms, major professional sports teams and the state’s licensed casinos to seek a sports wagering license. The net winnings would be taxed at 10%, far less than the 21% tax on money casinos win from patrons.

The revenue, estimated at up to $28.9 million annually, would support education programs.

In a news release Tuesday, the campaign said it had amassed more than 300,000 signatures and will submit at least 325,000 signatures.

“As the campaign approaches our goal of putting this on the November ballot, Missouri is a step closer to allowing Missouri adults to bet on sports, while generating tens of millions in annual funding for our classrooms,” Jack Cardetti, spokesman for the campaign, said in the news release.

Missourians for Healthy Families & Fair Wages, the campaign committee backing the minimum wage increase, reported it raised $540,000 during the first three months of the year and $1.9 million in total donations of both cash and in-kind services.

A large portion of the funding is in-kind donations from the Missouri Jobs with Justice Action. The Sixteen Thirty Fund is another major source of cash, giving $575,000 in 2023. The Fairness Project, another Washington, D.C.-based group that helps run liberal initiative campaigns, has contributed $250,000.

Under the statutory change being proposed, Missouri’s minimum wage, currently $12.30 an hour, would go to $13.75 per hour on Jan. 1 and $15 an hour on Jan. 1, 2026. The last time Missourians voted to increase the minimum wage, in November 2018, it received 62% of the statewide vote.

This year’s proposal would also require employers to give paid sick leave to employees and allow them to use the time off to care for a sick family member or if they need time away from work due to domestic violence issues at home.

“We feel good about the direction we’re headed,” said Joni Wickham, spokeswoman for the campaign.

A St. Louis University/YouGov poll conducted in February found that 44% of voters were ready to vote for the abortion rights proposal after hearing the court-written ballot language. The SLU/YouGov poll also showed 60% of those surveyed said they would vote to legalize sports wagering.

The poll did not include a question about the minimum wage.

The abortion rights and sports wagering proposals would amend the state Constitution and need at least 171,592 signatures from registered voters, spread across six of the state’s eight congressional districts, to make the ballot. The minimum wage increase proposal is a statutory change and needs at least 107,246 signatures to make the ballot.

This story was first published at www.missouriindependent.com.

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Missouri

Missouri traffic deaths this year could surpass 2024 numbers, MoDOT warns

Published

11 hours ago

October 28, 2025

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Missouri traffic deaths this year could surpass 2024 numbers, MoDOT warns

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Missouri

Missouri sports betting update ahead of Chiefs vs. Commanders on Monday Night Football

Published

1 day ago

October 27, 2025

Press Room

Missouri sports betting update ahead of Chiefs vs. Commanders on Monday Night Football

It’s another prime time NFL game, which means the Chiefs are playing. That’s what happens when a team has appeared in five of the past six Super Bowls and now has a player dating the most famous singer in the world.

Tonight, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and company host the Washington Commanders. Soon enough, bettors in Missouri will be legal wagering on a Chiefs primetime game.

Missouri sports betting is set to launch at 12:00 am CT on December 1. The Monday Night Football game that day is Patriots vs. Giants, but the following Sunday the Chiefs host the Texans on Sunday Night Football.

Bettors who are 21+ in Missouri don’t need to wait to get a demo of the DraftKings Missouri app. Just click below and take it for a test run. You won’t be able to deposit or wager until 12:00 am CT on December 1, but you’ll get to see why bettors in 39 states love DraftKings.

Missouri online sports betting overview

The Missouri Gaming Commission recently approved temporary sports betting licenses for nine sportsbooks looking to start taking bets at 12:00 am CT on December 1. Pre-registration can start on Nov. 17 at 12:00 CT. Let’s take a look at the players in Missouri:

The two names that standout the most on this list are Circa and Underdog. Circa scored a massive upset when it was awarded an “untethered” license over FanDuel in August.

What that means is neither DraftKings, nor Circa need partners to launch in Missouri (hence they can keep all the profits for themselves).

DraftKings and FanDuel poured in more than $40 into the ballot initiative that paved the way to legalize Missouri sports betting, so it was eye-brow raising that it did not prevail over Circa.

FanDuel quickly recovered from the sting of losing out to Circa by partnering with St. Louis CITY SC of the MLS.

Underdog, meanwhile, was one of the first to apply for a license in Missouri. The DFS and now sports betting operator has partnered with the Kansas City Royals.

BetMGM partnered with Century Casinos and Fanatics is launching through a deal with Boyd Gaming. Two other future Missouri sportsbook operators, Caesars and ESPN BET, do not need a partner because both have land-based casino interests in the state.

Missouri sports betting pro teams have ‘skin’ in the game

One of the biggest reasons Amendment 2 passed can be attributed to the groundswell of support from Missouri’s pro sports teams. As a result, six pro teams have sports betting licenses. Here’s a look at those partnerships:

St. Louis Cardinals (bet365)
Kansas City Royals (Underdog)
St. Louis CITY SC of MLS (FanDuel)
Kansas City Chiefs (BetMGM, existing from Kansas launch)
St. Louis Blues (Underdog)
Kansas City Current of NWSL (TBD)

There can be up to 19 retail sports betting licenses (stadiums, casinos). A few casino/sportsbook partnerships have already been established. Here’s a brief overview of those:

Where to bet in person in Missouri on December 1

Horseshoe St. Louis: Caesars Sportsbook
Harrah’s Kansas City: Caesars Sportsbook
Isle of Capri Casino Boonville: Caesars Sportsbook
Hollywood Casino St. Louis: ESPN BET
Argosy Riverside Casino: ESPN BET
River City Casino: ESPN BET
Century Casino Cape Girardeau: BetMGM
Ameristar Casino Kansas City: Fanatics Sportsbook

The six pro teams with licenses can also have a retail sportsbook in or around their stadiums.

Learn more about our gaming editorial staff.

If you or a loved one has questions and needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966 or the National Council on Program Gambling Helpline (NCPG) at 1-800-522-4700 or visit 1800gambler.net for more information. 21+ and present in Ohio. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.

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Missouri

Missouri Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for Oct. 25, 2025

Published

3 days ago

October 26, 2025

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Oct. 25, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

02-12-22-39-67, Powerball: 15, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

Midday: 8-3-0

Midday Wild: 4

Evening: 3-4-5

Evening Wild: 7

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

Midday: 6-9-7-7

Midday Wild: 2

Evening: 4-0-8-7

Evening Wild: 7

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

05-06-12-19-60, Cash Ball: 03

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

Early Bird: 03

Morning: 10

Matinee: 15

Prime Time: 13

Night Owl: 03

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

02-17-19-25-27

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

03-24-46-58-61, Powerball: 07

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.

To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.

When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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