• Loading stock data...
Saturday, July 19, 2025

On the Ballot: Sports Betting, Former Athletes Impacting the 2024 Election

From sports betting and college athletics to several political candidates that once starred on the field and court, the 2024 election has multiple intersections with sports.

Desert Sun

Sports are hardly the primary issue on the ballot for this year’s election, particularly given the many other consequential matters at stake. But there are still several notable sports-related measures and figures going before voters this year.

Amid an election that includes the American presidency, 33 U.S. Senate seats, and the entire House of Representatives, key choices on various local ballots involving sports in some way include:

  • Missouri sports betting: Voters in the Show Me State will consider whether to legalize sports betting there. If approved, the activity will be legal in 39 states and the District of Columbia, growing further from just in Nevada before a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2018. More than $40 million has been poured into the Missouri campaign—a record for a ballot measure in the state—and nearly all of that has come from FanDuel and DraftKings, the two most dominant entities nationally in sports betting. The measure also has support from all of the major pro sports teams in St. Louis and Kansas City. Sports betting has also been legal in neighboring Kansas for more than two years, heightening the pressure on Missouri to act. 
  • A U.S. Senate seat in Texas: Democratic challenger Colin Allred, a current congressman and former NFL linebacker with the Titans, is facing Republican incumbent Ted Cruz. Initial polling has favored Cruz by about four points, and Democrats have not won a statewide election in Texas in 30 years. But the race is believed to have tightened in recent weeks and is now widely seen as a potentially key indicator of broader voter sentiments. Allred’s NFL background has been a frequent topic in both campaigns.
  • A U.S. Senate seat in California: Former Dodgers superstar and Republican nominee Steve Garvey is going up against current Congressman and Democratic nominee Adam Schiff. This race is not really a contest in deep-blue California, and Schiff has held a lead of more than 20 points in pre-election polling—allowing him to travel out of state in recent weeks to campaign instead for other Democratic candidates. Garvey, however, also showed up Monday on a separate ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Classic Baseball Era Committee. A selection will be made Dec. 8, and other figures there include pitching legend Tommy John
  • A U.S. Senate seat in Minnesota: Royce White, a pro basketball player and now a far-right politician, is competing against incumbent Democrat Amy Klobuchar. White briefly appeared in the NBA in 2014, also competed in the NBA G League and National Basketball League of Canada, and is still part of the Big3 3-on-3 league. But as Klobuchar is popular in Minnesota and White has embraced several extreme conspiracy theories, this race, too, is not close and she holds a solid polling lead in double-digit percentages. 
  • College sports: More indirectly than the other races above—but almost certainly more far-reaching—the overall makeup of Congress following this election will have a significant bearing on the entire notion of amateurism in college athletics and whether athletes are classified as employees. Control of both the U.S. Senate and House—determined on a state-by-state and district-by-district level—will also reshape the leadership of key panels such as the Senate Commerce Committee that will dictate the flow of bills related to college sports. 

Separate from the sports-related ballot measures, game broadcasts have also been a highly fertile area of recent political advertising—to the point where Fox Corp. CEO and executive chair Lachlan Murdoch apologized Monday for the heavy intrusions into college and pro football games. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Ryan Field Construction
exclusive

First Look Inside Northwestern’s $862 Million New Ryan Field

Five big things FOS learned on our exclusive stadium tour.
(NCL_OSU_11_SUGAR_LAURON 04JAN11) Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor (2) slips around the Arkansas Razorbacks defense during first half of the Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, January 4, 2011.

Terrelle Pryor’s Case for NIL Backpay Dismissed in Court

Pryor played seven years in the NFL after leaving OSU amid a scandal.

Golf’s Prize Money Boom Is Slowing Down

There is no purse increase at The Open Championship.

WNBA Stars Say Zero Progress Made at CBA Meeting

The WNBA and its union had their first in-person meeting Thursday.

Featured Today

Jul 21, 2024; Ayrshire, SCT; Xander Schauffele celebrates with Claret Jug after winning the Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Troon.

The Boozy History and Traditions of The Open’s Claret Jug

The Open awards the world’s most famous wine decanter.
2025 PDC World Darts Championship Final - Luke Littler vs Michael Van Gerwen
July 16, 2025

A Teen Darts Prodigy Is Becoming Bigger Than the Game Itself

Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler is cashing in on his devastatingly accurate shot.
May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sydney McLaughin-Levrone (USA) reacts before the women's 100m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field
exclusive
July 13, 2025

Track’s New Money Is Running Into Old Problems

The sport’s big-money era has hit some speed bumps in 2025.
Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.
July 12, 2025

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Jun 9, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Luis Ortiz (45) reacts after giving up a home run during the fourth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field.

MLB Pitcher’s Paid Leave Extended Through August As Betting Probe Continues

Leagues have been dealing with a host of sports betting issues.
The Department of Justice logo on a podium at the Louisville, Kentucky office. July 1, 2025
July 16, 2025

Prediction Market Platform Polymarket Says It Escaped Federal Probe

Prediction markets are having a moment.
Mar 31, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) drives to the basket against Washington Wizards guard AJ Johnson (5) during the first quarter at Capital One Arena.
July 16, 2025

Terry Rozier’s Attorney Confirms He’s Still Under Federal Gambling Probe

Rozier finished the season playing for the Heat despite the federal probe.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
DraftKings
exclusive
July 14, 2025

DraftKings in Talks to Acquire Prediction Market Railbird Exchange

Sportsbooks and prediction markets are becoming increasingly intertwined.
A view of the FanDuel Sportsbook betting area at Belterra Park Cincinnati.
July 11, 2025

Flutter Acquires Full Ownership of FanDuel in $1.75B Deal With Boyd Gaming

FanDuel just got a $31 billion price tag.
Mar 16, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; The BetMGM Sportsbook at the Mandalay Bay resort and casino.
July 11, 2025

Support Grows to Repeal Gambling Tax in Trump Budget Bill

A new bill has been introduced in the Senate.
July 8, 2025

Betway Parent to Complete U.S. Exodus, Blames Tax Volatility

“Recent regulatory developments” were cited.