Missouri is on track to become the next jurisdiction in the United States to legalise and regulate sports betting.
Alongside the tightly contested presidential election, which is currently favouring former president Donald Trump, voters in Missouri also elected to authorise sports betting in the state.
The ballot initiative asked voters to decide whether to allow the Missouri Gaming Commission to regulate licensed sports wagering, including online sports betting, which is expected to generate initial license fee revenue of $11.75 million.
Tax revenue from legal sports betting in Missouri is predicted to be as high as $28.9 million annually, depending on the level of promotional deductions.
With 97 per cent of precincts in Missouri reporting at the time of publication, the sports wagering ballot initiative was ahead with 50.2 per cent of voters in favour of legalisation and 49.8 per cent against.
The ballot initiative requires a greater than 50 per cent vote to pass.
A second gambling amendment, which would authorise a casino on the Osage River near the Lake of the Ozarks, was rejected by 52.3 per cent of voters, with 97 per cent of precincts reporting.