DraftKings Emails Urge Recipients To Vote Yes On Prop 27

Written By JR Duren on September 9, 2022 - Last Updated on October 21, 2024
DraftKings sends out an email urging people to vote Yes on Prop 27

DraftKings customers in California who checked their email this week got a heavy dose of Proposition 27 promotion. DraftKings sent out a pair of emails urging people to approve the initiative.

Prop 27 is on the ballot in November. It is supported by operators such as DraftKings because it would allow online sportsbooks to partner with tribes and offer online sports betting in California.

The message in the email from DraftKings, which was sent twice this week, contained several of the main talking points pushed by the proposition’s backers.

“Nearly half the country can place legal, safe bets on sports from their mobile devices, yet Californians cannot. Come this November you can vote for change by voting YES on Proposition 27, which will authorize online sports betting in California.”

The email had a link to a pro-Prop 27 website. Also, it encouraged recipients to check if they’re registered to vote.

Email focuses on homelessness and mental health

The email argued that Prop 27 is beneficial because it will help “fight homelessness and fund mental health and addiction treatment.”

If passed, Prop 27 would direct 85% of sports betting tax revenue (10% of gross revenue) to the state’s Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program (HHAPP). The program receives about $1 billion a year without money from sports betting.

The HHAPP aspect of the proposition has generated pushback, most notably from Gov. Gavin Newsom. He offered a few insights on Prop 27 at a homeless event in Los Angeles last month.

“I’m not supporting or opposing it, I haven’t given it a lot of thought, but it is not a homeless initiative. I know Angelenos can read between the lines and they know better.”

Tribal support claim somewhat misleading

The DraftKings email mentioned that Prop 27 was created “in partnership with the state’s tribes.” This language mirrors what’s found on a Los Angeles billboard, which reads, “California Tribes say YES on Prop 27.”

In reality, only three tribes in the state publicly support Prop 27. More than 50 tribes oppose the proposition. The majority of tribes that have voiced an opinion support the other sports betting proposition on November’s ballot, Prop 26. It would allow sports betting only at tribal casinos and horse tracks.

Coalition for Safe, Responsible Gambling Spokesperson Kathy Fairbanks talked to PlayCA about this disparity last month.

“This is more deception by the out-of-state corporations. The fact is more than 50+ tribes strongly oppose Prop 27, while only three tribes support it.”

Millions spent on campaigns may be fruitless

The push for sports betting in California has been a costly one. Backers of both propositions have spent more than $372 million in the battle so far.

Amid all that spending, research indicates that there’s a likelihood neither proposition passes. Independent research firm Eilers & Krejcik believes both competing initiatives are likely to fail.

Why? Eilers and Krejcik said competing political powers and special interests along with ballot confusion led them to their less-than-favorable assessment.

Photo by Shutterstock
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JR Duren

J.R. Duren has covered the gambling beats for more than a dozen states for Catena Media since 2015. His past reporting experience includes two years at the Villages Daily Sun, and he is a first-place winner at the Florida Press Club Excellence in Journalism Contest.

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