DraftKings increases donation to Missouri sports betting campaign as polls indicate support
Operator takes total value of donations to Winning For Missouri Education campaign to $10m after fresh $5m pledge as legal sports betting vote approaches
DraftKings has donated a further $5m to the Winning For Missouri Education campaign, which is supporting the introduction of sports betting legislation in the state.
Following this latest donation on September 17, as logged by the Missouri Ethics Commission, the operator has now contributed $10m to the pro-sports betting movement.
DraftKings and FanDuel have now given a combined $14m to the campaign.
The latest funding for Winning For Missouri Education came after Caesars Entertainment contributed just over $4m to the Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment (MADOGA) group earlier this week.
The anti-sports betting lobbyists formed earlier this month, arguing the legislation has been drafted in such a way that would allow operators to avoid paying tax revenues to the state.
Missouri citizens appear to be leaning towards voting in favor of the proposed sports betting legislation, according to a poll conducted by Emerson College Polling and The Hill newspaper.
According to a report from Fox 2 Now, the results showed 68.4% of people surveyed aged 30 to 39 would vote for sports betting, although the results dropped below 50% for people aged 60 to 69 and 70 and over.
Emerson College Polling and The Hill surveyed 850 “very likely voters” in the Show-Me State between September 12 and 13.
The split in political allegiances of those surveyed was 262 Democrats, 356 Republicans, and 232 independents or those affiliated with another political party.
Citizens will have the chance to vote on the legislation, dubbed Amendment 2, in November after it was added to the ballot for November 5.
After legal contention as to whether Winning For Missouri Education legitimately collected the 180,000 signatures to include the bill on the ballot, a Missouri county court ruled that Amendment 2 could be included in the November election.