While the supporters of sports betting in Missouri continue to spend big, the main opposition campaign is tightening the purse strings when it comes to advertising.
As reported by the Missouri Independent, the Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment campaign canceled $1.2 million in television adverts late last week, many of which had been purchased several weeks ago.
Campaign focusing on community outreach instead
Spokesperson Brooke Foster told the Independent that the ads were pulled to enable the campaign to focus on “grassroots outreach and community conversations” for the two weeks before the election.
The anti-gambling campaign has received high-profile support from gaming operator Caesars. The company, which is the only of Missouri’s six licensed casino operators to publicly oppose the ballot measure, has contributed more than $14 million via several of its in-state casinos.
When Missourians head to the polls on Nov. 5, one of the issues they vote on will be Amendment 2, which would legalize retail and online sports betting in the Show-Me State. If voters say “yes,” each in-state sports team and casino would be eligible to partner with up to one online sports betting operator, while two licenses would be reserved for online-only sportsbooks. In total, the Missouri Gaming Commission could issue up to 14 licenses for online betting.
A survey in August suggested that slightly more than 50% of voters supported legalizing sports betting, with only 30% willing to declare themselves opposed. Foster told the Independentthat the anti-betting ads have been effective to the extent that the gap has “definitely tightened” to become “margin of error-type close.”
Pro-betting campaign continues to spend heavily thanks to leading sportsbooks
Foster added that out-of-state online gambling corporations “continue to throw millions of dollars at misleading TV ads.”
All in all, the proponents of Amendment 2, which include multiple leading sports betting operators and six Missouri-based sports teams, have spent tens of millions getting their point across.
The Winning for Missouri Education campaign has been heavily backed by the Sports Betting Alliance, which includes market leaders FanDuel and DraftKings as well as BetMGM and Fanatics. According to documents displayed by the Missouri Ethics Commission, FanDuel and DraftKings have together donated more than $36 million to the campaign, more than any other total sum given to a past ballot measure campaign in Missouri.
The push for sports betting approval has received significant support from sports teams including the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals. Last week, the SBA also unveiled a new video ad featuring the support of St. Louis Cardinals legend Ozzie Smith.
Jack Cardetti, a spokesman for Winning for Missouri Education, told the Independent that “we feel really good about where we are right now.”
“The Amendment 2 campaign will continue to aggressively get our message out and ensure that Missourians know the benefits of legalizing sports betting, right up until the last hour,” he added.
