ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – Missouri voters will get the choice in less than two months to legalize sports betting, and the campaign to pass the constitutional amendment took their message to voters this week with a new commercial focusing more on where the revenue will go.

“Bet during the game makes the game a little more fun, you know,” said JD Thiele.

Thiele is an Illinois resident who forgot to make a bet before heading to the Cardinals game.

“It stinks you can’t cross the river and gamble,” Thiele said.

That could soon change as Missourians will go to the polls in less than eight weeks to decide if sports gambling should be legal in the state.

An ad from Winning for Missouri Education, a political action committee backing the effort to legalize sports betting—known as Amendment 2—recently dropped. The ad, as well as their website, consistently mentions how the money will go toward education but barely mentions sports betting at all.

“The money will support the right thing,” said Jerry Walker.

But not everybody is on board.

“It’s a really serious issue, but it is one Missouri is not prepared to deal with,” said Keith Spare.

Spare is a retired addiction counselor in Kansas City and also founded the Midwest Consortium for Problem Gambling and Substance Abuse.

He’s not worried about Illinois and Kansas getting Missouri’s tax dollars.

“The reality is yes, revenue is lost, but what’s the cost of getting the revenue?” Spare said.

His research shows 25% of Missourians either have a gambling disorder or are at risk of getting one. He says expanded gambling leads to more bankruptcies and even suicides, also saying the money for schools is a drop in the bucket.

“It’s an illusion,” said Spare.

And while revenue goes into a fund that must go to education, it doesn’t necessarily mean more money will go to schools.

State Sen. Karla May told First Alert 4 over the phone that, in theory, the legislature could simply redirect existing education money, put it toward something else, and use gambling money to fill the education gap.

Sen. May did not endorse this possibility; she just said it’s possible and legal for the legislature to do.

And even some supporters are okay with this possibility.

“There is no net increase in funding for education,” said Jerry Schwartz. “It’s just a way to get people to accept it.”

Spare also adds there aren’t enough resources now for gambling addicts, and while some money would be directed annually to help problem gamblers, it’s not clear how it would be used.

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