As the legislature adjourned Friday without passing Missouri sports betting for a third straight year, a ballot campaign report revealed FanDuel and DraftKings continued to fuel the group’s signature collection this spring.
Winning for Missouri Education Committee turned in its 15 Days After Petition Deadline report Monday, revealing the group has raised $6.5 million this election period. In its quest for signatures, the committee spent just shy of $6 million.
The committee turned in 340,000 voter signatures ahead of the May 5 deadline. To qualify for November’s ballot, the Missouri sports betting campaign needs more than 170,000 valid signatures.
Millions added to Missouri campaign
In the campaign’s initial 15-day report in January, FanDuel and DraftKings contributed $2 million in cash and $500,000 in in-kind contributions.
In March, the two companies added an additional $1.5 million. As the campaign approached its deadline, the pair of industry leaders contributed another $2.5 million in April.
Overall, FanDuel contributed $4 million in cash, while DraftKings added $2 million. Both companies made $250,000 in in-kind contributions.
Last year, an industry source told LSR the campaign could require up to $20 million in funds.
Missouri sports betting campaign spend
The campaign paid Washington DC-based Fieldworks $5.6 million for signature collecting.
It also paid Missouri-based Husch Blackwell Strategies $160,000 for government relations and Idaho-based Guidant Polling and Strategy $60,000 for campaign management.
The committee also secured Missouri communications firm Tightline Public Affairs for $75,000 and law firm Stinson for $11,393.
Missouri sports betting campaign proposal
Winning for Missouri Education Committee began its signature collection in January at St. Louis Cardinals Care Winter Warm-Up and St. Louis Blues games. The process began last summer after Missouri sports betting legislation failed for the second straight year.
The proposal creates sports betting licenses for the state’s 13 casinos and six sports teams, as well as two standalone online licenses.
Each casino and team could operate an online and in-person sportsbook. The proposal sets the tax rate at 10%.
Missouri sports betting legislative failures
Rep. Dan Houx introduced the same legislative proposal in January that he shepherded through the House the previous two sessions. His proposal was backed by Missouri teams, casino and US sportsbooks.
In 2022 and 2023, the legislation died in the Senate, where Sen. Denny Hoskins held the bill hostage in hopes of adding video lottery terminal legalization. VLT language did not have broader legislative support.
With Hoskins waiting in the Senate again this year, the House did not advance Houx’s bill.
