Major online sports gambling companies, including DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics, and Bet365, have spent nearly $500,000 through the American Conservative Fund Super PAC in Kansas state primaries this year, according to campaign finance reports. This level of spending far exceeds typical amounts in Kansas state races and has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and candidates over the companies' growing influence on state policy and budget decisions.
Explainer Election Integrity in America: Safeguarding Voter Trust and Ballot Security
The surge in political spending by gambling firms highlights a core tension: whether private interests are steering state funding and legislative priorities through outsized campaign contributions.
Kansas law has long prohibited lotteries and gambling schemes, with the state constitution stating such operations are "forever prohibited" Kansas Constitution, Art. 15, § 3. However, a 2022 legislative change allowed sports betting companies to operate by partnering with state-owned lotteries, tying their revenue to state appropriations. This arrangement has made the allocation of lottery funds a key battleground for gambling interests.
Gambling Money and State Budgets
Kansas Representative Samantha Poetter Parshall said that 80 percent of lottery tax revenue is directed to the Attracting Professional Sports to Kansas Fund, which supports professional sports teams and facilities. The fund received $13.4 million in fiscal year 2025 and is projected to exceed $14 million this year. This funding is central to a nearly $2 billion deal between the state and the Kansas City Chiefs for a new domed stadium Kansas Department of Commerce announcement.
Poetter Parshall argued that gambling companies have sought to influence how these funds are spent, preferring allocations that benefit their industry. She said the companies opposed a 2025 budget provision that would have allowed the legislature to review and potentially change the use of lottery funds, fearing it could reduce funding for sports and entertainment projects linked to their profits.
"They wanted the funding to go to the items that they chose, versus having it actually go to funding schools and things like that where other states use their lottery funding."
— Samantha Poetter Parshall, Kansas Representative
Campaign Spending in State Races
The American Conservative Fund, financed by the Win For America PAC, has targeted Kansas state races with unprecedented spending. In some cases, individual state house races saw over $150,000 in outside spending, compared to previous cycles where $25,000 was considered high. In one primary, challenger Mike Storm faced a barrage of opposition ads funded by the PAC, with the race decided by just 119 votes.
Incumbent Kenneth Collins received over $61,000 in support from gambling interests, prompting his challenger Dan Muter to question the motives behind the contributions. "They’re paying for his campaign in gratitude for his past support and to ensure his future support," Muter told the Kansas Reflector.
The American Conservative Fund's messaging focuses on broad conservative themes, but its financial backers have supported candidates from both parties who align with their business interests. The PAC did not respond to requests for comment about its goals or transparency.
National Expansion and Political Influence
The Win For America PAC, funded exclusively by DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics, and Bet365, has spent nearly $70 million nationwide since November 2025, according to Federal Election Commission data. Its Democratic counterpart, American Future, has spent over $500,000 in the Kansas gubernatorial race and millions more in other states.
In Georgia, where sports gambling remains illegal, the gambling companies' Super PAC is the top independent spender in state elections this year, with over $10 million spent in primaries for both Republican and Democratic candidates. American Conservative Fund has backed 29 Republican candidates with nearly $8 million, while American Future has supported 10 Democrats with about $2.3 million.
American Future told Atlanta Civic Circle that it seeks candidates who will "thoughtfully approach this opportunity and the revenue and jobs legal sports betting could provide," but did not respond to The Federalist’s request for further comment.
Ongoing Debate Over Transparency
Critics argue that the true policy interests of these gambling companies are obscured by vague campaign messaging, while their financial influence shapes legislative outcomes. Supporters of the PACs have not publicly addressed these concerns, and requests for comment from both American Conservative Fund and American Future went unanswered.
The expansion of legalized sports betting since 2018 has brought new scrutiny to the role of industry money in state politics. As the 2026 midterms approach, gambling-backed PACs are expected to remain among the largest outside spenders in key state races.
