• Two of the largest newspapers in Missouri have endorsed Amendment 2 to legalize sports betting
• The Kansas City Star and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch have both officially endorsed legalized sports betting
• While both endorse the amendment, both do so with a level of hesitation

Legalized Missouri sports betting has gained two big journalistic allies, as voters will flock to the polls on Nov. 5 to decide the fate of potential constitutional amendment to legalize the new form of gaming.

The Winning for Missouri Education campaign reported that two of the state’s largest newspapers, The Kansas City Star and The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, have both officially endorsed a “yes vote” on Amendment 2 at the polls.

If approved, online sports betting and retail sports betting will be legal in the Show Me State.

Both Papers Endorse Sports Betting With Hesitations

While both newspapers did officially endorse legalized sports betting, both did so with a level of hesitation. If the amendment is approved by state voters, each professional Missouri sports team and land-based casino would be eligible for one retail sports betting license and one online sports betting license each. Each individual team and casino would also be able to partner with up to one online sports betting operator.

In total, the state could see 19 retail sports betting licenses and 21 online sports betting licenses under this framework.

According to the editorial board of The Kansas City Star, the concerns of sports betting “are real” but will not disappear if voters reject the constitutional amendment. Missourians can easily travel to nearby states to place a legal bet on a sporting event, according to the board, and if “sports betting is going to happen, and it is, we think it’s better to keep the money in the state.”

Additionally, the editorial board noted the opposition campaign being funded in part by Caesars Entertainment is “beyond parody” as they want to keep outside gaming competition away from Missouri.

“Are the casinos worried about excessive gambling? Do they think betting is wrong? Of course not. They simply don’t want the competition. That’s hypocrisy at the highest level. We think Missourians are sensible enough to make up their own minds about gambling in whatever form they wish,” the board wrote.

The revenue estimates from sports betting are murky, the board suggests, and damages from gambling are very real.

“Those problems will give some voters pause, as they did for us. But Missourians can and will bet on sports, either in the state or somewhere else. We think the opportunity should be available here, and we recommend yes on Constitutional Amendment 2.”

Gambling is here to stay, the editorial board of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch also wrote, and residents will be doing so no matter whether the state legalizes it or not.

The board gave their official endorsement to the amendment, doing so with “little enthusiasm but plenty of realism.”

“In a real way, continuing to outlaw sports betting here is nothing other than a declaration that Missouri refuses to regulate and tax an activity that will continue happening regardless of what state law says. That’s dumb. That said, no one should assume legalized sports betting would be a windfall here. The stingy terms of Amendment 2 — a 10% state tax on gambling revenues to be earmarked for education, with a provision that allows sportsbook companies to deduct certain promotional expenses before reporting revenues — aren’t unusual among state gaming laws, but they aren’t great for taxpayers.”

Campaigns Well Funded

As endorsements continue to come in, both sides of the sports betting coin have also received millions in donations for their campaigns.

FanDuel and DraftKing have been the largest donors for Winning for Missouri Education. In total, the two sports betting giants have donated more than $31.5 million to the campaign. Most recently, FanDuel donated $5 million to the campaign.

However, Caesars Entertainment is keeping pace and has been steadily providing a stream of money to the Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment campaign. Through its land-based Tropicana Casino, Caesars donated an additional $3.3 million to the anti-sports betting group this week.

To date, Caesars has provided $14,161,456 to the campaign through the following donations:

• Caesars Enterprise Services: $161,456.85
• Tropicana St. Louis: $4,600,000
• Harrah’s North Kansas: $4,700,000
• Isle of Capri Boonville: $4,700,000

Under the proposed ballot initiative, each of the state’s land-based casinos would receive one online sports betting license apiece, while two untethered online sports betting licenses would also be available for sports betting companies to operate in Missouri. Caesars likely has a problem with this aspect of the proposed initiative, as neither FanDuel or DraftKings has a land-based casino in the state, but would likely be in line for the two untethered online sports betting licenses.

The post Missouri Pro Sports Betting Campaign Gains Two Endorsements appeared first on Sports Betting Dime.