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Missourians will begin seeing ads for the Missouri sports betting initiative this week.
The Winning for Missouri Education proponent campaign for Amendment 2 dropped its first commercial Monday on YouTube.
The 30-second ad on the Sports Betting Alliance Missouri channel highlights how sports betting revenue could help increase pay for Missouri teachers.
Campaign spokesperson Jack Cardetti explained in a press release:
“These ads capture the true essence of what Amendment 2 is all about — ensuring every Missouri child has access to a quality education. We’re thrilled to have the voices of Missouri families leading the charge, and we believe their reasons for voting for Amendment 2 will resonate with voters across the state.”
It’s the first indication that the Winning for Missouri Education campaign, backed financially by DraftKings and FanDuel and supported by Missouri’s professional sports teams, will actively support the passage of Amendment 2.
Also Tuesday, opponents of the initiative began an opposition campaign with a state filing and press release.
Missouri sports betting ad focuses on education revenue
The first Missouri sports betting ad features Susan Wolk from Eureka, Mo. Appearing to be sitting on her living room couch, the blonde woman says:
“As a mom and former first-grade teacher, I care deeply about education. That’s why I’m voting for Amendment 2. Legalizing sports betting will generate tens of millions of dollars every year for our classrooms, helping increase teacher pay. Amendment 2 has a constitutional guarantee that ensures the money from sports betting goes to our schools. No more wasted dollars. Take it from this mom and former teacher, Amendment 2 is the right thing to do.”
As it concludes, the advertisement points viewers to the yeson2mo.com website for more information.
The Winning for Missouri Education campaign made media buys to air the the commercial on network and cable television starting Tuesday.
Missouri sports betting campaign finally underway
Three weeks after Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft certified Amendment 2 for the ballot, proponents launced their campaign to support its passage.
Part of the delay was a lawsuit filed against Ashcroft attempting to invalidate certification and remove the initiative from the ballot. A circuit court judge upheld the initiative Friday.
Claimants did not file an appeal by end of day Monday. With the state set to finalize the ballot Tuesday, it appears there will be no appeal.
With Amendment 2 seemingly on the ballot for good, proponents decided to move forward with their media campaign.
Opposition campaign also started
The lawsuit showed there are opponents to the initiative. The Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment opposition campaign for Amendment 2 was filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission on Tuesday.
The filing doesn’t identify who is financially backing the opposition campaign. It only lists Kathryn Drennen as treasure. Drennen’s LinkedIn lists her as owner of Midwest Compliance Group, a campaign compliance consulting firm based in St. Louis. A call to Drennen wasn’t immediately returned.
Opponents also didn’t reveal themselves during the legal proceedings. However, Marc Ellinger, lead attorney in the filing, has history representing Missouri casino interests for the Missouri Gaming Association.
Sources indicate some Missouri casinos may have issues with the initiative due to a perceived ambiguity over whether it allows one sports betting app per casino or per casino company.
A press release lists Brooke Foster as spokesperson for the campaign.
“This deceptive measure was writtin by and for the financial benefit of its out-of-state corporate sponsors and funders,” Foster said in the release. “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.”
The press release highlights a fiscal review conducted by Gov. Mike Parson’s administration that questions whether any tax could be collected under the act because it doesn’t identify an agency to collect the tax. Cardettie previously dismissed those concerns to PlayUSA.
It’s still possible that the Missouri Gaming Commission could resolve that concern. Last week, the Missouri Gaming Commission named Mike Leara as its new executive director.
