In a key step to rally Missouri voters in support of legalizing sports betting, the campaign has received significant financial support. DraftKings’ parent company, DK Crown Holdings, has donated $3.5 million to the political action committee (PAC) supporting the ballot initiative, according to recent filings with the Missouri Ethics Commission. With this latest donation, the PAC, which goes by the name Winning for Missouri Education, has surpassed the $10 million mark in total fundraising.
This influx of money from one of the country’s leading sports betting companies came shortly after the Missouri Secretary of State confirmed that the campaign had collected enough signatures to secure a spot on the upcoming November ballot. The initiative, if passed, would put Missouri on par with 38 other states that have already legalized sports bettingthereby increasing revenue streams for educational and gambling addiction programs, according to the St. Louis Dispatch.
A nationwide campaign to educate and inform
Jack CardettiSpokesman for the campaign emphasized the strategic use of funds: “Now that we are officially on the ballot, we will spend the next two and a half months talking to Missourians across the state about why it makes sense to create a legal framework for sports betting that serves public education,” he said. The campaign aims to reach voters across Missouri and explain to them the benefits and framework of the proposed legalization of sports betting.
The initiative has received broad support, as evidenced by survey data from Emerson College and a joint survey by St. Louis University and YouGov, which show over 60% approval among Missouri residentsThis support cuts across all political affiliations and across both rural and urban areas, indicating strong nationwide support for the measure.
Support from Missouri’s professional sports teams
Missouri’s professional sports community is also firmly behind the initiative, with the support of the state’s six largest teams: the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, St. Louis City SC, Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals and the Kansas City Current. President of the Cardinals Bill DeWitt III publicly supported the campaign and stated: “On behalf of all six of Missouri’s professional sports teams, I want to thank everyone who signed a petition to put this on the ballot. A vote for Amendment 2 in November is the right thing to do for both Missouri’s public schools and our favorite sports teams.”
The proposed measure outlines a sports betting tax rate of 10%allowing both Missouri’s professional sports teams and the state’s 13 casinos to operate retail and online sports betting platforms. The Missouri Gaming Commission would oversee the regulatory aspects of sports betting. In addition, the designated seat city or county would receive 10% of the gaming tax revenue to fund local services.
