Coalition Urges Missourians to Strike Down Sports Betting Measure

Missourian activist have banded together to oppose the potential introduction of sports betting in the state. The organization is called Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment and seeks to convince voters that the legalization is a “bad deal.”

The Coalition Accused the Industry of Using Deceptive Arguments

Brooke Foster, spokeswoman for Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment, highlighted the interest of DraftKings and FanDuel in the state. She argued that the two leading operators in America are interested in nothing more than expanding their business.

For context, Amendment 2, the measure that would legalize betting, was extensively backed by the two sportsbook juggernauts and secured the measure a spot on November’s ballot. The future of sports betting is thus set to be decided by the voters, although some have accused the gambling industry of using deception to sway the opinion of the Missourians.

Foster said the initiative to legalize sports betting “was written by and for the financial benefit of its out-of-state corporate sponsors and funders.” Because of that, she advised voters to oppose it and stop it from passing. To that end, the coalition plans to wage what Foster called a “vigorous campaign.”

We are building a broad coalition and are prepared to wage a vigorous campaign to educate voters across the state and ensure the measure is defeated.

Brooke Foster

Sports Franchises Campaign for the Measure

Amendment 2, for context, would allow the state’s professional sports franchises and 13 casinos to operate retail and online sports betting. The measure would also issue licenses to two online betting platforms. Under Amendment 2, the sports betting tax rate would stand at 10%.

The measure has secured backing from the four pro sports franchises in the state. The franchises have joined forces to operators to fund Winning for Missouri Education, a coalition that sought to promote the petition that brought Amendment 2 to the November ballot.

The St. Louis Cardinals president, Bill DeWitt III was very outspoken on his support for the amendment, highlighting the potential positives it would have on Missouri. He emphasized that the industry would raise millions of dollars for the local education system, supporting many schools across the state.

According to DeWitt, legalizing sport betting is “the right thing to do for Missouri public schools and sports teams.”

Despite that, Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment believe that Amendment 2 is a bad deal for the state. They are not the only ones as two locals recently tried to block the measure from appearing on the ballot.