Voters in Missouri will decide whether to legalize sports betting in the upcoming election campaign

Tax revenue is not included in the state’s total revenue. Instead, it covers costs associated with operating and regulating sports betting, and at least 10% — or $5 million, whichever is greater — goes to the state gambling fund. The remainder will be used for elementary, secondary and higher education institutions in Missouri. To ensure funds are used appropriately, the amendment requires the state auditor to conduct an annual public audit of all revenue generated from sports betting.

Proponents of the change, particularly Winning for Missouri Education, an Amendment 2 campaign funded by DraftKings and FanDuel, said it could generate $100 million for Missouri education over the next five years. A Winning for Missouri Education advertising campaign says the money could be used to raise teacher salaries, noting language that suggests the funds would be misused.

“There is a constitutional guarantee that revenue from sports betting will benefit our schools,” the ad says, “so even politicians can’t miss this opportunity.”

In addition to DraftKings and FanDuel, supporters of the initiative’s passage include every major professional sports team in Missouri, Governor Mike Parson and gubernatorial candidates Republican Mike Kehoe and Democrat Crystal Quade, among others.

Opponents like the Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment campaign say none of the money is guaranteed to go to schools. The group points to the Missouri lottery as an example, arguing that out-of-state companies falsely claim the measure will help fund education in the state. However, due to “special loopholes,” the group says no money is guaranteed to fund schools.

“Any money that could potentially be raised through sports gambling would give politicians a ‘blank check’ to spend the money however they want without having to be held accountable,” says the Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling website Amendment.

State Senator Denny Hoskins and Caesars Entertainment — a casino company that directly competes with FanDuel and DraftKings with its own sports betting platform — have spoken out against the change.