Three Missouri Gubernatorial Candidates Announce Support For Sports Betting

November is going to be a big month in Missouri. During the elections, residents will have a say on if they support a legal sports betting platform that will see some of our best sports betting sites begin operations in the Show-Me State.

During a gubernatorial debate hosted by the Missouri Press Association, three candidates voiced support for legal Missouri sports betting. The issue of whether to legalize sports betting in MO is currently set to feature on the November ballot under Amendment 2, which Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft approved. 

The three candidates who publicly backed Amendment 2 were Republican Mike Kehoe, Democrat Crystal Quade, and Libertarian Bill Slantz. In particular, Kehoe and Quade agreed that Missouri is missing out on revenue from sports betting taxes. Many residents cross the border to participate in the legal Kansas sports betting market - where the revenue benefits the Sunflower State.

Meanwhile, Slantz pointed out that he is “offended” that the current proposed legislation will fund public education in Missouri. However, he still supported the constitutional amendment and emphasized that he didn’t want to restrict sports betting significantly to support smaller and local businesses. 

Amendment 2 getting plenty of support from operators

While Amendment 2 has the backing of many prominent politicians, it has also received support from some of our best sports betting apps. The Winning for Missouri Education campaign comprises six professional sports teams, including the Kansas City Royals, but it has received significant financial contributions from FanDuel and DraftKings.

The campaign has collected over $16 million in support, with over 80% of this financial support coming from these two sportsbooks. FanDuel added over $3 million to the Winning for Missouri Education campaign. Meanwhile, DraftKings had contributed over $10 million, including a more than $5 million donation earlier in September.

The campaign has received more than 340,000 signatures supporting sports betting before it reaches the ballot. 

Opposition candidates also speak on Amendment 2

While Amendment 2 has received plenty of support, it is not without its critics. One of those critics, Paul Lehmann, the Green Party candidate in the gubernatorial election, voiced his concerns about the proposals. 

He takes a moral view against sports betting. The retired minister believes that sports betting and any other kind of gambling are sins. He also expressed that funding education using revenues from sports betting is “deceptive.”

Lehmann isn’t alone in his criticisms. In recent weeks, the Kansas City Teachers Union has spoken on the prospect of using betting revenues to fund education, with a representative calling it a “terrible idea” in an interview with local news. The representative also doubted how much tax revenue sports betting can collect.

Caesars Entertainment is the most surprising opposition to the Winning for Missouri Education campaign. In a filing, the Missouri Ethics Committee reported that the company awarded $4 million to the opposition Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment (MADOGA) campaign, with funds distributed through the retail casinos Caesars operates in the state. Caesars Entertainment operates three land-based casinos in the state: Harrah’s North Kansas City, Isle of Capri Casino Hotel Boonville, and Horseshoe St. Louis.

The MADOGA campaign only launched earlier in September. Caesars is the only operator running a sportsbook to take a public stand against MO sports betting.