Missouri Sports Betting Campaigns Begin Rallying Troops

The Missouri sports betting referendum is officially set for the November 5 ballot after a state judge last week dismissed a lawsuit challenging the legitimacy of the campaign’s canvassing procedures.

Soon after Cole County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Green rejected the lawsuit challenging the referendum led by a political action committee called Winning for Missouri Education, a group emerged that says it will work to convince Missourians to vote against Amendment 2. The committee — Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment — says from now until November 5, the group will campaign against the sports betting question.

This deceptive measure was written by and for the financial benefit of its out-of-state corporate sponsors and funders,” said Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment 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. It’s a bad deal for Missouri.”

Amendment 2 would allow casinos to operate an in-person sportsbook and an online book. The referendum would also provide professional sports stadiums with retail and online sports betting privileges, and allow two online sportsbooks to be approved without being tethered to a casino or sports venue. 

Sports Betting Ad Debuts

While Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment is just getting up and running, the pro-sports betting lobby has already raised more than $6.5 million and produced its first advertisement.

Winning for Missouri Education has the financial support of Missouri’s professional sports franchises, including the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, MLB’s Kansas City Royals, MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals, and the NHL’s St. Louis Blues. The political campaign is also heavily funded by sports betting market leaders DraftKings and FanDuel.

This week, the campaign debuted its first 30-second commercial in support of legal sports gambling. The strategy is apparently to hype the educational benefits that regulated sportsbooks would bring the Show-Me State.

The referendum would constitutionally mandate that the first $5 million or 10%, whichever is greater, in tax proceeds go toward combatting problem gambling. The remaining benefit would go to support K-12 public education.   

What Sports Betting Would Look Like in Missouri 

If a simple majority of voters back Amendment 2, each sportsbook’s gross revenue would be subject to a 10% tax. Retail licenses would cost $250K every five years. Mobile permits would cost $500K every five years.

State fiscal projections estimate that Missouri could receive nearly $29 million a year from regulated sports gambling, but the final benefit would depend largely on how many incentives the books issue. Sportsbooks have traditionally marketed heavily in newly launched sports betting states with an array of promotions geared toward signing up players.