JEFFERSON CITY — The campaign to convince Missouri voters to legalize sports betting received a massive infusion of cash Friday.
The parent company of Boston-based DraftKings, one of the nation’s largest sports wagering companies, wrote a $3.5 million check to the political action committee supporting the ballot initiative, according a filing with the Missouri Ethics Commission.
With the latest cash infusion, the PAC, known as Winning for Missouri Education, has topped the $10 million mark in money raised in the effort.
The contribution from DK Crown Holdings came three days after the Missouri Secretary of State verified the campaign had collected enough valid signatures to put the question on the November ballot.
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The proposed initiative would legalize sports betting, putting Missouri in line with 38 other states, including seven of Missouri’s eight neighboring states. Money raised would go toward education and gambling addiction.
Campaign spokesman Jack Cardetti said the money will be used to educate voters about the initiative.
“Now that we are officially on the ballot we’ll be over the next two and a half months talking to Missourians across the state about why it make sense to set up a legal sports betting framework that helps public education,†Cardetti said.
An Emerson College survey released in February and a poll published in March by ºüÀêÊÓƵ University and YouGov, found more than 60% of Missourians supported the initiative to legalize sports betting, with both Democrats and Republicans, as well as rural and urban corners of the state, backing it.
The state’s six professional sports teams — the ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals, ºüÀêÊÓƵ Blues, ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC, Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals and the Kansas City Current — are all backing the question, along with sports-betting giants FanDuel and DraftKings.
“On behalf of all six of Missouri’s professional sports teams, I would like to thank everyone who signed a petition to get this on the ballot. A vote for Amendment 2 in November is the right thing to do for both Missouri public schools and our favorite sports teams,†said Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III.
The ballot measure would set the sports betting tax rate at 10% and allow Missouri’s professional sports franchises and the state’s 13 casinos to operate retail and online sports betting.
The Missouri Gaming Commission would regulate the activity and a designated home-dock city or county would receive 10% of the gaming tax for services provided.