Caesars Entertainment is providing financial support to a campaign opposing regulated sports betting in Missouri.
According to a filing with the Missouri Ethics Committee, the Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment campaign has received $4 million in contributions from Caesars through the company’s retail casinos in the Show-Me State.
The campaign, which launched earlier this month, opposes the approval of a sports betting referendum allowing voters to decide the fate of wagering during November’s election.
Caesars is taking a different stance on the issue compared to its rivals FanDuel and DraftKings, which helped Winning for Missouri Education raise more than $10 million. The coalition, comprised of six pro sports teams, is leading the effort to bring sports betting to Missouri. It secured more than 340,000 signatures in favor of a vote on sports betting.
Caesars is the only operator to publicly take a stance against sports betting in Missouri.
Caesars leverages its properties
Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling has received a financial boost from Caesars through three brick-and-mortar casinos and the company’s enterprise business.
Tropicana St Louis was the first Caesars casino to contribute to the anti-sports betting campaign with Caesars dishing out $1.3 million through the property. Caesars distributed an additional $1.3 million to the campaign through Isle of Capri Boonville Casino while its Harrah’s North Kansas City property allocated $1.4 million toward the anti-betting campaign. Lastly, Caesars’ Enterprise Services business contributed $156,202.
Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling was launched after Circuit Court of Cole County Judge Daniel Green ruled in favor of keeping sports betting on November’s ballot.
Green made his ruling after a lawsuit was filed by two plaintiffs alleging that Winning for Missouri Education failed to garner enough support. A ballot initiative was later approved by Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft who declared Winning for Missouri Education collected enough valid signatures from at least six congressional districts across the state.
According to a recent poll from Saint Louis University and YouGov, 50% of voters who are likely to participate in November’s election would vote in favor of sports betting. Caesars is hoping that its financial contributions will help thwart any additional support.
