DraftKings, FanDuel Funnel $41M Into Win for America PAC Targeting Multiple States

DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics have funneled $41 million into the super PAC Win for America, according to newly filed Federal Election Commission (FEC) reports. Win for America itself has routed money into two affiliated super PACs aligned along partisan lines, coordinated to potentially influence state-level political races tied to sports betting policy.

FanDuel contributed $19.5 million, DraftKings contributed $17.5 million, and Fanatics contributed $4 million, according to fillings.

According to quarterly filings, Win for America has distributed the majority of the raised funds into two affiliated PACs:

• American Conservative Fund (Republican-aligned) — $26.1 million
• American Future (Democratic-aligned) — $7.25 million

Republican-Aligned PAC Targets Georgia, Texas, Pennsylvania

The American Conservative Fund accounts for the most direct political spending. Filings show multi-million-dollar campaign activity, especially in three states:

• $6 million to American Conservative Fund Action Georgia
• $3.5 million to Texas Conservative Fund
• $3 million to Win for Pennsylvania

The contributions point to a targeted push, particularly as Georgia and Texas remain two of the largest U.S. states that have yet to legalize sports betting. The Pennsylvania activity comes as lawmakers are exploring potential tax increases on sportsbook operators.

In addition to direct funding of state committees, the PAC has invested heavily in campaign execution and voter outreach, including:

• More than $2 million to Del Cielo Media for media placement
• Over $1 million to Advocacy Marketing Partners for advertising
• More than $1.3 million combined to Targeted Victory for media production and placement
• Hundreds of thousands of dollars in polling and research, including payments to Guidant Polling & Strategy

Democratic-Aligned PAC Focuses on Ads and Infrastructure

The American Future takes a different approach to spending. Most of the $7.25 million was concentrated in advertising and campaign infrastructure.

American Future’s largest expenditures include:

• Approximately $1.9 million to GPS Impact for digital, television, radio, and billboard advertising
• Around $1.1 million to Blue Collar Communications for direct mail and local visibility campaigns

The two largest expenditures suggest a focus on voter-facing outreach. The PAC directed additional funds toward research, strategy, and compliance, including payments to firms such as FM3 Research and Jones Mandel.

Notably, filings show no direct contributions to state political committees or candidates. Still, various reports suggest that American Future has spent more than $1 million, and potentially up to $2.5 million, backing candidates in Illinois state legislative primaries, including several Chicago-area races.

Why Texas, Georgia and Other States Matter

Gambling Expansion Push

The spending aligns with political pressure and policy debates surrounding sports betting.

Texas has long been a target for both sports betting and casino operators, with companies like Las Vegas Sands pouring millions into state efforts over the past several years. State leaders, especially Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, have long opposed gambling expansion.

But despite spending millions in this year’s primaries, Sands’ backed candidates suffered defeats in key races. Still, the company has stated it will continue to target Texas. The American Conservative Fund’s activity suggests that sports betting operators are also ramping up their political spending.

Georgia is another key target, offering a large untapped market for operators. The state is the third-most populous in the country, after California and Texas, yet it lacks legal sports betting. Unlike Texas, however, there’s been plenty of efforts to change that, with bills introduced in each legislative session since 2018.

The closest Georgia got to legalizing sports betting was in 2024, when the Senate passed a bill, but it stalled in the House. In late 2025, a Senate tourism committee recommended that the state legalize sports betting to raise funds and keep Georgia competitive with neighboring states in tourism.

Another state without legalized sports betting that the PACs have targeted is Alabama. Local reporting indicates the American Conservative Fund has spent around $80,000 on election advertising in the state.

Meanwhile, according to records from the Alabama Secretary of State, the state-registered SV&B PAC has donated $718,500 to multiple candidates since January 2025. The PAC has received over $1.25 million from the Sports Betting Alliance, a trade group representing DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics, among other operators.

Defensive Play Elsewhere

In other states, spending appears as a defensive move.

In Pennsylvania, state lawmakers are exploring potential tax increases on sportsbook operators. The current rate is 36% on gross gaming revenue, with only New York, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Oregon, and Illinois (for operators like DraftKings and FanDuel) imposing a higher tax burden.

At the same time, Illinois has already implemented multiple hikes in recent years. In 2024, the state replaced its flat 15% tax on gaming revenue with a progressive, tiered structure. Sportsbooks such as FanDuel and DraftKings saw their rate jump to 40%.

In 2025, Illinois introduced an additional per-bet sportsbook tax of $0.25 on the first 20 million wagers and $0.50 thereafter. Furthermore, Chicago imposed a 10.25% city tax on gaming revenue in addition to the state levy starting January 2026.

Another state identified in the filings is Ohio. There, Gov. Mike DeWine attempted to double the tax rate on gaming revenue in 2025, the second such hike since 2023, but lawmakers rejected the plan. DeWine has been vocal in criticizing the growth of sports betting. In addition, recently, lawmakers introduced legislation to eliminate online sports betting.