Missouri Sports Betting Campaign Funding Tops $44 Million With Added Money


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Missouri sports betting

Two US sportsbooks on opposite sides of the Missouri sports betting ballot question poured more money into the campaign this week.

According to filings on the Missouri Ethics Commission website, FanDuel threw another $5 million into the Winning for Missouri Education effort.

Meanwhile, Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment received $3.3 million from another Missouri-based Caesars casino, this time Tropicana St. Louis.

Caesars and its three casinos contributed an initial $4 million to oppose the Missouri sports betting push. Last week, Isle of Capri Boonville added $3.4 million, while Harrah’s North Kansas City contributed $3.3 million. With Monday’s opposing contributions, total funding for and against the sports betting ballot question is now more than $44 million.

Missouri sports betting opposition

Multiple industry sources recently told LSR that Caesars opposes the ballot question language, which includes one skin per operator and two untethered online licenses.

Previous legislative attempts provided multiple skins per casino and no untethered licenses.

Political consultant Jacqueline Wood is listed as campaign treasurer for Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment. Wood previously was a plaintiff in the mysterious lawsuit that took on the Missouri sports betting question’s certification process last month.

Missouri sports betting support

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 contributed another $5 million. Monday’s $5 million add from FanDuel brings it on par with its rival as both US sportsbooks have now contributed an identical $15.75 million.

Candidates, polling signal support

Both major party gubernatorial candidates, Republican Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and Democratic Rep. Crystal Quade, endorsed the ballot question.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently wrote an op-ed supporting the sports betting question. The Kansas City Star endorsed the effort this week, too.

The most recent Missouri sports betting polling shows 52% of voters support legalizing sports betting, while another 23% are undecided.

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