Caesars Funds Campaign Against Legal Sports Betting in Missouri

By Matt Speakman,
Betting Expert at online-gambling.com

Matt Speakman Betting Expert at online-gambling.com

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Last updated: September 24, 2024

Out-of-state gambling brands are pushing voters to legalize online sports betting in Missouri without being tied to physical land-based locations. Caesars has contributed around $4 million to a campaign that goes against this legalization. The brand is backed by MO sports teams.

The Push Towards Legalization of Online Sports Betting

This has been a hot topic among voters in Missouri for a few years now. Recently, gambling brands that are out of the state have been pushing citizens to vote to make online sports betting legal in the state without the need for a land-based location there. One of the gambling goliaths in the US, Caesars, which has local venues, stands in opposition.

A political committee called the “Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment” was formed on 10th September 2024. Later, on 13th September, Caesars funded the campaign through three of its casino brands, totaling nearly $4 million in contributions. The committee’s reasoning is that there are no guarantees that any money from online gambling will go to the state.

The out-of-state gambling corporations claim that this legalization will support the funding of local schools. Caesars believes that there are loopholes in the supposed agreement that do not guarantee that any funds will be given to the state to fund schools. Caesars made contributions through its brands – Horseshoe Casino, Isle of Capri Casino Booneville and Harrah’s North Kansas City to fund the campaign. At this time, the brand is the only gambling entity with a local presence to have a clear position on the matter.

The Other Side of the Coin

Of course, Caesar’s push towards keeping out-of-state brands from entering the Missouri gambling market has a counter. In general, this matter has created a bit of a rift between the land-based gambling venues and brands that operate in the digital wagering market.

Those in favor of the proposed bill have formed a committee called “Winning for Missouri Education” is pushing for the legalization of online sports betting. This committee is supported by the Sports Betting Alliance (SBA), which is comprised of FanDuel, Fanatics Sportsbook, BetMGM and DraftKings. Bear in mind that none of these brands have a physical presence in the state of Missouri.

According to the Missouri Ethics Commission, the corporations that are a part of the SBA made contributions of over $18 million in the campaign towards legalizing online sports betting. The largest contributors are DraftKings and FanDuel, with over $10.5 million combined contributions.