Missouri Sports Betting | Latest on Missouri Sportsbooks 2025

After voters passed Constitutional Amendment 2, online sportsbooks and retail betting in Missouri will go live no later than Dec. 1, 2025. The Sports Betting Initiative amendment was on Missouri's November 5, 2024, ballot after hundreds of thousands of petitioners lobbied to add it.

Until now, only social casinos and daily fantasy gaming had been allowed in Missouri. Bettors who wanted to place a wager would have to travel to neighboring Kansas, Illinois, or Iowa.

Missouri sports betting was passed on Nov. 5, 2024, when voters approved Amendment 2, stipulating that the market must launch by Dec. 1, 2025. Although there was some early hope it would launch this summer, bettors won't be able to place wagers until August or September.

Missouri sports betting rules will not take effect until at least Aug. 30, but the latest they could go into effect is Sept. 30.

The state constitution of Missouri previously only made provisions for pari-mutuel horse racing betting. Amendment 2 was introduced to change the constitution to allow online and retail sports betting.

The amendment directs the Missouri Gaming Commission to oversee sports betting in the state and requires it to go live by Dec. 1, 2025, at the latest. The amendment sets the tax rate on sports betting operators at 10%, reportedly funding public education.

Under Amendment 2, 14 sports betting licenses would be allowed. 

Six pro sports teams in Missouri would have the chance to partner with a mobile betting provider. Meanwhile, Caesars Entertainment, Bally's, Boyd Gaming, and Century Casinos would be expected to get one skin per casino they operate in MO. 

Two "untethered" licenses would also be available. 

The Missouri Gaming Commission will formalize licensing requirements and grant licenses through an application process. 

• April 23, 2025: The Missouri Gaming Commission delivers proposed sports betting rules to the governor's office. Rules are expected to be approved at the commission's May meeting.
• April 16, 2025: No one from the general public participated in a month-long period to comment on the upcoming launch of sports betting in Missouri, according to the MGC.
• April 1, 2025: The MGC says sports betting license applications will be available on May 15. Licensing rules are expected to go into effect on Aug. 30.
• March 24, 2025: The St. Louis Cardinals and bet365 announce a multi-year marketing partnership.
• Feb. 21, 2025: Sec. of State Denny Hoskins, former state senator, denies the Gaming Commission's request for emergency sports betting regulations.
• Dec. 13, 2024: The deadline for any group to request a recount of Missouri's election results passes.
• Dec. 5, 2024: Missouri's Board of State Canvassers certify the election results. The final tally is 2,934 more "yes" votes than those for "no." A Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment spokesperson says it does not plan to request a recount.
• Nov. 26, 2024: Election officials tell Gambling.com that the initial "yes" results are expected to hold.
• Nov. 25, 2024: Rush Street CEO Richard Schwartz says the company is preparing for Missouri's sports betting launch. Rush Street Interactive is the parent company of BetRivers.
• Nov. 18, 2024: Amendment 2's margin of victory narrows as additional votes are processed and certified, putting the election in the range of a possible recount.
• Nov. 8, 2024: In total, Winning for Missouri Education collects $43.05M in contributions, per the Missouri Ethics Commission, which sets a record for campaign fundraising. FanDuel and DraftKings contribute $20.525M each. Missouri's six pro sports teams contribute just under $2M.
• Nov. 5, 2024: Amendment 2 passes with 50.12% of the vote in favor. Amendment 5, which would have authorized a new casino in the Lake of the Ozarks, failed, with 52.5% opposing the measure.

• Nov. 4, 2024: Chiefs president Mark Donovan, Royals president of business ops Brooks Sherman, and Sporting KC president Raven Jemison, backed by Winning for Missouri Education, take out a full-page ad in the Kansas City Star urging voters to pass Amendment 2.
• Oct. 29, 2024: The St. Louis City Democratic Central Committee announces its opposition to Amendment 2, instead backing Amendment 5, which would add a new Missouri casino license.
• Oct. 24, 2024: Winning for Missouri Education announces bipartisan support in the state senate.
• Oct. 10, 2024: The Kansas City Star endorses Amendment 2: "Missourians can and will bet on sports ... We think the opportunity should be available here, and we recommend yes on Constitutional Amendment 2.”
• Sept. 25, 2024: The St. Louis Post-Dispatch endorses Amendment 2: "Continuing to outlaw sports betting here is nothing other than a declaration that Missouri refuses to regulate and tax an activity that will continue happening regardless of what state law says."
• Sept. 6, 2024: The lawsuit is dismissed.
• Aug. 23, 2024: A Cole County Circuit Court lawsuit is filed to block Missouri’s sports betting initiative from the November ballot, alleging that the petition was unconstitutional. Proposed petitions must receive signatures from 8% of legal voters in six congressional districts to make the ballot in Missouri. The suit argued that the proposal didn’t use newly redrawn districts following the 2020 U.S. Census, so it wouldn’t have met the required number of signatures.
• Aug. 13, 2024: Missouri declares the sports betting initiative has sufficient signatures to appear on the Nov. 2024 ballot.
• May 5, 2024: This is the deadline for presenting the Missouri Secretary of State with at least 180,000 signatures supporting the initiative.
• April 17, 2024: Winning for Missouri Education accumulates over 340,000 signatures to add Amendment 2 to this year’s ballot.
• Jan. 4, 2024: Organizers file paperwork with the Missouri Ethics Commission to form the Winning for Missouri Education PAC.
• Feb. 27, 2023: A Missouri committee passed HB 556, a bill to legalize sports betting. The committee did not pass a sports betting bill that included VGTs, which quickly became controversial, with VGT supporters making hay.
• Dec. 7, 2022: Then-Sen. Denny Hoskins pre-filed SB1, which would allow the State Lottery Commission to implement a system of video lottery game terminals and to issue licenses to video lottery game manufacturers, distributors, operators, handlers, and retailers. Under SB1, sports betting would be authorized on excursion gambling boats and online. Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer pre-filed SB30 to authorize mobile and retail sports betting.
• Nov. 8, 2022: Representative Billy Schwarze makes a case for legalized sports betting in 2022. Three bills are pre-filed for the 2022 legislative session. Other lawmakers have voiced their support as well.
• Jan. 14, 2021: SB 18 is introduced, followed by SB 256 and SB 218 on February 2. The respective measures have different details, and none of them move forward.
• March 4, 2020: Sports betting legalization measure Senate Bill 567 is considered by the Missouri Senate Appropriations Committee. It fails, and other efforts meet the same fate.
• Aug. 28, 2018: Missouri State Representative Dean Plocher introduces House Bill 2535, which would legalize sports betting. It was one of three different sports gaming bills that did not advance.
• May 14, 2018: By a 6-3 vote, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the PASPA statute that makes sports betting illegal on the federal level is unconstitutional. Any state that wants to legalize the activity is free to do so.

The sports wagering legislation introduced is essentially the same as that in surrounding states. For revenue data, you can look at these legal betting states as proxies. 

In 2020, people bet about $2 billion in Illinois, resulting in $57 million in tax revenue for the fiscal year. Missouri has half the population, and the tax structure would not be identical, but the potential revenue is considerable.

Let's have a look at what's happening in similar states:

• Kentucky: Launched online and in retail KY sportsbooks in Sept. 2023 and is regulated by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission 
• Iowa: Launched sports betting in 2019, regulated by the Iowa Racing & Gaming Commission. Bettors are no longer required to register in person for Iowa sportsbooks. 
• Illinois: Launched sports betting in 2020, regulated by the Illinois Gaming Board. Bettors are no longer required to register in person for Illinois sportsbooks. 
• Tennessee: Launched sports betting in November 2020. There are no brick-and-mortar retail Tennessee sportsbooks.
• Arkansas: Online Arkansas sports betting launched in 2022, four years after retail sportsbooks opened. The Arkansas Racing Commission oversees betting.
• Kansas: Launched Kansas sports betting on Sept. 1, 2022, overseen by the Kansas Racing & Gaming Commission
• Nebraska: Only retail sports betting is allowed in Nebraska.

Because of existing relationships, we can project the operators with presences in Missouri. At present, you can legally wager at over a dozen licensed casinos. Some companies that own casinos in Missouri also own sports betting platforms.

It still remains to be seen where you'll be allowed to bet. The Missouri Gaming Commission has not announced an application process or a list of applicants. We expect FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, ESPN BET, bet365, and Bally Bet to apply for licenses due to their pre-existing relationships in Missouri, which we'll cover below.

As soon as legal online sports betting is launched, you will be able to place bets through mobile sports betting apps.

Our Gambling.com Overall Score for FanDuel: 9.1/10

Why FanDuel could be coming to Missouri: FanDuel contributed millions of dollars to the Winning for Missouri Education’s political action committee to get sports betting on 2024’s ballot. It stands to reason that FanDuel would be eager to apply for a sports betting license when the time comes.

Given its familiarity and reputation in other states, FanDuel Missouri will likely be able to negotiate a deal with one of the casinos that will receive sports betting licenses.

Our Gambling.com Overall Score for DraftKings: 8.9/10

Why DraftKings could be coming to Missouri: DraftKings also contributed millions to the Winning for Missouri Education’s PAC in 2024. Expect DraftKings Missouri to launch, too.

DraftKings has enjoyed the same advantage that has helped FanDuel capture a significant market share. The sports betting site can be accessed from the daily fantasy sports side and vice versa. It is a strong product that will be familiar to DFS users.

Our Gambling.com Overall Score for bet365: 8.9/10

Why bet365 could be coming to Missouri: bet365 already had a sports betting partnership with Century Casinos, which already has two casinos in Missouri: Century Casino & Hotel Cape Girardeau and Century Casino & Hotel Caruthersville. This partnership has already granted them market access in Colorado. Now, you add the Cardinals partnership to the mix, and it appears bet365 is making a strong play to come to Missouri later this year.

Brick-and-mortar casinos in Missouri are expected to be awarded sports betting licenses, which would grant bet365 Missouri de facto market access. We could even see bet365 expand into U.S. retail sportsbook spaces in these casinos in the future.

Our Gambling.com Overall Score for BetMGM: 8.6/10

Why BetMGM could be coming to Missouri: BetMGM Missouri essentially already has market access, thanks to its relationship with the Kansas City Chiefs. BetMGM is the Kansas City Chiefs' official sports betting partner. The team has been vocal in supporting legalized sports betting in Missouri. Team president Mark Donovan signed a full-page ad in the Kansas City Star urging voters to approve the ballot initiative.

MGM Resorts International is a heavy hitter in the hospitality industry and will probably be awarded a license.

Our Gambling.com Overall Score for DraftKings: 8.2/10

Why ESPN BET could be coming to Missouri: PENN Entertainment already owns several casinos in Missouri, including Hollywood Casino & Hotel St. Louis and River City Casino & Hotel. ESPN BET has recently started increasing its retail footprint, and ESPN BET Missouri's expansion would continue that trend.

Our Gambling.com Overall Score for BetRivers: 8.0/10

Why BetRivers could be coming to Missouri: Rush Street Interactive CEO Richard Schwartz hinted at it. While speaking at the fourth annual Needham Consumer Tech and Ecommerce Conference, Schwartz said the company, which owns the BetRivers Sportsbook product, is preparing for the launch of Missouri sports betting.

In February 2022, Schwartz announced that RSI had preemptively gained market access in Ohio, Maryland, and Missouri through a deal with Penn National, so we'll have to see if that agreement still holds three years later.

Our Gambling.com Overall Score for DraftKings: 7.1/10

Why Caesars could be coming to Missouri: Caesars Entertainment owns several casinos in Missouri already, including Isle of Capri Boonville Casino and Horseshoe St. Louis. It would make sense for Caesars Sportsbook Missouri to launch an online sportsbook here. It remains to be seen what kind of impact Caesars' support for the Winning for Missouri education’s opposition campaign will have.

The Caesars brand is synonymous with upscale luxury, and the online sportsbook continues that theme, consistently offering one of the highest sign-up bonuses in the business.

Our Gambling.com Overall Score for Bally Bet: Not yet available

Why Bally Bet could be coming to Missouri: Bally Bet is the online sportsbook arm of the Bally's Corporation, which operates the Bally's Kansas City Casino. Brick-and-mortar casinos are expected to be awarded licenses to partner with online sports betting licenses, which could give Bally Bet de facto market access.

Bally Bet already operates in several states, including nearby Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, and Tennessee.

Signing up with and using Missouri sportsbooks will be easy. I'll explain what to expect during the sign-up process and betting markets to explore.

Missouri sports betting sites will use geolocation software to pinpoint your location when you sign up, and you must be in the state at the time. 

After successfully opening the account, you must still be in the state when you make wagers. 

Pre-registration should be offered for Missouri sports betting sites. As we have touched upon, we will monitor the situation and pass along the online sportsbook promo codes when pre-registration becomes available.

These are the types of bets that will be available to Missouri residents:

• Moneyline and run line bets
• Point Spreads and puckline bets
• Totals
• Parlays
• Futures
• Prop Bets
• Teasers
• Live Betting

On June 10, 2016, then-Governor Jay Nixon signed House Bill 1941 to legalize DFS sites. 

This is a list of the operators that the Missouri Gaming Commission has licensed: PrizePicks, DraftKings, FanDuel, FastDraft, Fantasy Football Players Championship, OwnersBox, RealTime Fantasy Sports, CDM Sports, Underdog Sports, Yahoo Fantasy Sports, Fanball, StatHero.

Horse racing betting sites have been legal under 313.660 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, but only within the confines of a licensed racetrack. The only problem is that Missouri has no tracks, and online sports betting platforms cannot accept MO residents.

Even though sports betting isn’t legal in Missouri yet, the state already has a strong commitment to responsible gambling practices, thanks to its casinos. Missouri casinos follow the American Gaming Association’s Responsible Gaming Code of Conduct, which pledges to prevent underage gambling, serve alcohol responsibly, advertise responsibly, and provide oversight.

You can sign up for Missouri’s voluntary List of Disassociated Persons (also known as the Problem Gambling list) online or in person.

You can contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline any time:

• Phone: 1-800-GAMBLER
• Text: 800GAM
• Chat: 1800gamblerchat.org