DraftKings, FanDuel and Seminoles in multi-million-dollar last-ditch Florida push
Campaign documents reveal sports betting rivals have donated a total of $27m to faltering legislative initiative efforts
Donations to rival legislative initiatives to expand/prevent greater legalisation of sports betting in Florida topped $27m in the third quarter of 2021, latest campaign documents show.
Florida Education Champions (FEC), a legislator initiative backed by DraftKings and FanDuel, has received more than $17.1m in donations during the quarter, the largest donation influx since both operators made an initial pledge of $10m each in January to back it.
DraftKings alone donated $12.7m to FEC in October, while its fellow FEC backer, FanDuel, donated $106,054 in the same month, before making a follow up donation of $4.38m in November.
Despite the significant influx of funds, FEC faces an uphill battle to accrue the 891,589 petitionee signatures required to force its initiative onto the November 2022 ballot.
The FEC-backed initiative allows for sports betting to be offered by professional sports venues and parimutuel facilities and state-wide via online sports betting platforms by entities authorised to conduct online sports betting, and by Native American tribes with a Florida gaming compact.
The proviso for this campaign is that taxable revenue generated by sports betting must supplement public education. To date, FEC has generated 177,021 signatures, way short of the 800,000+ target, which must be met by January.
However, FEC is only a small number away from the 222,898 signatures required for the state to conduct a judicial and financial impact review, something that could bolster its chances and support.
A rival initiative, ‘Standing Up for Florida’ which is backed by the Hard Rock Digital-operating Seminole Tribe benefitted from a further $10m donation in November.
The donation more than doubles the tribe’s commitment to the campaign but came before the controversial US court decision to annul the Seminole Tribe’s compact with the state on legal grounds.
The decision forced the premature closure of the Hard Rock Digital Florida app, which had been in operation for more than a month before the court ordered closure.
Despite the annulment, efforts to preserve the Seminole’s stranglehold on Florida sports betting have continued unabated.
Standing Up for Florida, a campaign which aims to encourages Floridians to boycott out of state gambling operator-backed initiatives, like FEC and others, has been the target for serious allegations concerning illegal voter solicitation practices.
Allegations includes paying petition gathering firms in Florida excessive amounts in exchange for exclusivity with the Seminole initiative, while separately paying workers to interfere with rival petitions.
In addition, it has been alleged that the tribe is running an informal side petition effort, which is reportedly organised by a convicted voting fraudster.
A lawsuit backed by Las Vegas Sands against the Seminole Tribe concerning these alleged activities is currently working its way through the US courts.