DraftKings has donated a further $5 million to the Winning for Missouri Education campaign, according to financial releases from the Missouri Ethics Commission, bringing the company’s total contributions to the campaign to more than $10 million. The campaign is encouraging Missouri voters to weigh in on the November ballot on whether to legalize online sports betting.
DraftKings is not the only sportsbook that supports the legalization of online sports betting in Missouri. FanDuel has also contributed more than $3 million to the Winning for Missouri Education campaign. The proposals the sportsbooks are backing have support from professional sports teams in the state, including the MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals. Additionally, the Sports Betting Alliance (SBA) has supported the proposal, which includes the aforementioned DraftKings and FanDuel, as well as BetMGM and Fanatics.
The measure to put the question on the November ballot has faced opposition, with a judge recently dismissing a challenge to its inclusion. Recent polls indicate that 50% of the state supports sports betting.
Caesars takes the other side
Last week, a new political action committee was formed to convince Missouri voters to reject sports betting this fall. Spokespeople for the group, named Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment (MADOGA), argue that legal sports betting may not bring the expected financial benefits for public education.
“This deceptive measure was written by and for the financial benefit of its out-of-state corporate sponsors and funders,” commented MADOGA spokesperson Brooke Foster. “We are building a broad coalition and are prepared to wage a vigorous campaign to educate voters across the state and ensure the measure is defeated.”
Caesars Entertainment, the parent company of Caesars Sportsbook, has since made a $4 billion contribution to MADOGA. While the company has not commented on its intention behind the funding, it goes towards a group that is fighting against legalizing Missouri sports betting.
Also this week, professors from the University of Kansas shared their concerns over the potential legalization. The study revealed that sports betting can become more addictive than RNG casino games as bettors feel they have a better chance of predicting the outcome.
Pressure from Kansas brings sports betting into focus
Missouri’s neighbor, Kansas, launched retail and online sports betting in September 2022, and many bettors already cross the border from MO into KS. That means tax revenue that could be flowing into Missouri is going to Kansas.
Additionally, the Kansas Governor recently approved plans to allow sports betting taxes to help tempt major league sports teams from Missouri to Kansas. Currently, the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs and the MLB’s Kansas City Royals play in Missouri but are considering relocating across the border as part of a proposal including sports betting taxes.
All of this has brought the issue of sports betting in Missouri into sharper focus in 2024. The state has considered the problem for years, with sports betting bills appearing as early as 2018. Lawmakers submitted several bills in 2023, with SB 30 managing to pass the House. However, this legislation failed in the Senate. In 2024, lawmakers considered SB 852, SB 824, and HB 2231, none of which passed.
