A familiar name has emerged as the treasurer of the PAC opposing the Missouri sports betting ballot question as funding pours into both sides of the campaign.
According to Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment‘s initial 15-day report filed last month with the Missouri Ethics Commission, Jacqueline Wood is the campaign’s treasurer. Wood, a political consultant, was the lead plaintiff in the failed mysterious lawsuit that challenged the Missouri sports betting question‘s certification process last month.
Now, Wood is listed as treasurer for the Caesars-backed campaign opposing the ballot initiative. The PAC has received more than $10 million from Caesars and its Missouri casinos, including nearly $7 million last week.
The donations to the opposition campaign came as DraftKings added an additional $5 million to Winning for Missouri Education last week. DraftKings and FanDuel contributed more than $26.5 million to the Missouri sports betting ballot campaign through the first week of October.
Missouri sports betting opposition
In the lawsuit challenging the ballot question certification, a judge sided with Secretary of State John Ashcroft and the question remained on the ballot. During the hearing, Wood claimed she brought the suit at the request of her lawyer and relied on him for information.
Following the ruling, Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment filed its campaign paperwork. Caesars and its three casinos contributed an initial $4 million. Last week, Isle of Capri Boonville added $3.4 million Wednesday, while Harrah’s North Kansas City contributed another $3.3 million.
Industry sources tell LSR that Caesars, which owns three casinos in the state, does not like the ballot question language. It includes one skin per operator and two untethered online licenses, while previous legislative attempts provided multiple skins per casino and no untethered licenses.
Caesars has not replied to multiple requests to discuss the suit and campaign. Wood, fellow plaintiff Blake Lawrence and the lawsuit’s lead lawyer Marc Ellinger did not respond to a request for comment amd Winning for Missouri Education also did not respond.
Missouri sports betting contributions
DraftKings and FanDuel backed Winning for Missouri Education’s signature-gathering efforts earlier this year with an initial $6.5 million. The state’s six professional sports teams started the campaign last year.
Once the ballot question was certified in August, DraftKings added $3.6 million, and FanDuel contributed $1.5 million.
In September, both companies gave another $5 million. DraftKings has contributed $15.75 million, while FanDuel has put in $10.75 million.
Endorsements come in
During a gubernatorial debate last month, both major party candidates, Republican Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and Democratic Rep. Crystal Quade, endorsed the ballot question.
Shortly after, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote an op-ed supporting the sports betting question.
Recent Missouri sports betting polling shows 52% of voters support legalizing sports betting, while another 23% are undecided.
Teachers against sports betting
Along with endorsing the question, Kehoe and Quade both support raising teacher salaries. A study released last month by Winning for Missouri Education and Eilers and Krejcik estimates the industry could generate more than $38 million annually for the state’s public education system.
Despite the potential influx in cash, the Kansas City Public Schools Chapter of American Federation for Teachers oppose the ballot question. The union is skeptical of the “unknown” revenue.
Jason Roberts, the union’s president, told the Kansas City Star the group has an issue being “politicized” with sports betting.
