Missouri Sports Betting
Legal sports betting is coming to Missouri.
During the November 2024 election, voters approved a ballot measure authorizing retail sportsbooks and online sports betting in Missouri. Now, it’s just a matter of time before the first Missouri sports betting sites launch.
Read on for an up-to-date overview of the Missouri online sports betting market, including what happens next and when the first sportsbook apps will launch.
Legal Missouri Betting Sites
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Other online betting options in Missouri include daily fantasy sports apps and social sportsbooks based on US sweepstakes laws.
In-person gambling options in Missouri consist of riverboat casinos and the state lottery. The Missouri Gaming Commission serves as the state’s primary regulator, overseeing sports betting, casino gambling, daily fantasy sports, and charitable gaming.
Missouri Sports Betting Overview
Missouri voters legalized sports betting via Amendment 2, which directs the Missouri Gaming Commission to issue licenses for retail sportsbooks and mobile betting platforms.
Here are the key things to know about the Missouri sports betting amendment:
- Casinos and Missouri’s six professional sports teams may apply for sports betting licenses
- Licensees may operate one retail sportsbook and one mobile betting platform apiece
- The Missouri Gaming Commission may also issue two standalone online sports betting licenses to qualified operators
- Missouri sports betting apps may serve customers 21 and older
- Prominent operators like FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, Bet365, Fanatics Sportsbook, and ESPN Bet are expected to apply for Missouri online sports betting licenses
Missouri Sports Betting Launch Date
The first Missouri sportsbooks will launch no later than December 1st, 2025.
However, Missouri sports betting could begin sooner than December 1st because that’s just the latest acceptable launch date per Amendment 2. In the meantime, the Missouri Gaming Commission must adopt additional rules and regulations, establish a licensing process, make licensing determinations, and issue final launch approvals.
The Missouri Gaming Commission has plenty of examples to draw from in other states, so an accelerated timeline isn’t out of the question. In any case, BettingUSA will provide launch updates here.
Missouri Sports Betting Licenses and Taxes
Amendment 2 directs the Missouri Gaming Commission to establish licensing fees as follows:
- Retail sportsbooks: Application fee not to exceed $250,000; five-year renewal fee not to exceed $250,000
- Online sportsbooks: Application fee not to exceed $500,000; five-year renewal fee not to exceed $500,000
The law will also implement a 10% tax on sports betting revenue and ensure Missouri’s Compulsive Gaming Fund receives at least $5 million in funding per year.
How Missouri Legalized Sports Betting
Following years of failed legislative efforts to legalize sports betting in in Missouri, professional sports teams based in Missouri and national sportsbook brands formed a coalition called Winning for Missouri Education to take a different approach.
There was clearly demand for legal sports betting in Missouri, as evidenced by geolocation firm GeoComply reporting it had blocked more than 431,000 attempts to access online sportsbooks from within the state during the 2024 Super Bowl. However, lawmakers consistently failed to reach enough of a consensus to pass a bill into law.
So, the coalition sought to bypass the legislative process by mounting a petition drive to put sports betting on the November 2024 ballot.
In August 2024, the Missouri Secretary of State certified that the coalition had obtained enough signatures to put a constitutional amendment on the November ballot that, if approved, would legalize sports betting in Missouri.
Missouri voters narrowly approved the measure in November 2024, prompting lawmakers to pass legislation allowing casinos and professional sports teams to offer online sports betting and operate retail sportsbooks at casinos.
Past Missouri Sports Betting Efforts
Missouri lawmakers debated numerous sports betting bills starting in 2018 but were unable to make much progress due to differing opinions over critical details until voters approved Amendment 2 in 2024.
One of the primary challenges was differing opinions over whether the bill that finally legalizes Missouri online sports betting should include language authorizing video lottery terminals (VLTs) at truck stops and fraternal organizations.
In particular, State Senator Denny Hoskins was adamant that any bill to legalize online sports betting in Missouri must include provisions authorizing VLTs even though most lawmakers and Missouri casinos opposed any legislation legalizing VLTs.
Sen. Hoskins had stymied multiple Missouri sports betting bills in the past because they didn’t include language legalizing VLTs.
Missouri Daily Fantasy Sports
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$50 provided as promo funds, only for use on PrizePicks. Promo funds provided under this promotion must be played within 90 days of receipt or shall become null and void at PrizePicks’ discretion. Promo ends 12/31/25. Void where prohibited. If you or someone you know has a gaming problem, get help. Crisis services and responsible gaming counseling can be accessed by calling 1-800-426-2537 or online at www.ncpgambling.org. 18+ in most eligible jurisdictions, but other age and eligibility restrictions may apply. Valid only in jurisdictions where PrizePicks operates. See prizepicks.com/terms for full PrizePicks terms of service.
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Missouri was among the first wave of states to formally legalize and regulate daily fantasy sports when then-Governor Jay Nixon signed HB 1941 into law on June 10th, 2016.
The Missouri Fantasy Sports Consumer Protection Act established a regulatory framework requiring DFS operators to apply for fantasy sports licenses, pay taxes on revenue, and adhere to various consumer protection measures. Today, most of the nation’s high-profile DFS and fantasy pick’em sites operate in Missouri and accept customers 18 or older.
Read more about fantasy sports in Missouri:
Missouri Horse Racing Betting
Missouri horse racing betting options are limited due to restrictive laws that prohibit off-track wagering and discourage developers from opening race tracks.
Additionally, the law is unclear on the legality of online horse racing betting, so most online racebooks do not accept Missouri customers.
More about the Missouri horse racing betting industry:
Note: Twinspires left the Missouri horse racing market on January 31st, 2024 citing regulatory concerns. It is unclear when, or if, Twinspires Missouri will resume options.
Is Online Gambling Legal in Missouri?
State laws consider it a Class C misdemeanor to participate in gambling as a player outside of licensed facilities. Section 527.020 of the Missouri Revised Statutes lays it out plainly:
572.020. 1. A person commits the crime of gambling if he knowingly engages in gambling.
1. Gambling is a class C misdemeanor unless:
(1) It is committed by a professional player, in which case it is a class D felony; or
(2) The person knowingly engages in gambling with a minor, in which case it is a class B misdemeanor.
A Class C misdemeanor in Missouri results in up to 15 days of jail time. It becomes a more serious Class D felony for those who operate unlawful gambling activities as “professional” gamblers with up to four years in jail.
There are no cases in which a person has ever been charged for participating in online gambling in Missouri. Authorities focus those who organize games and participate in the real world.
Even though the law is enforced sporadically, it is technically incorrect when other websites claim that it is “legal” to gamble online in Missouri. The law may not be enforced, but it clearly outlaws participating in gambling in general terms that could easily be applied to the internet.
Missouri Sports Betting FAQ
Wes Burns has more than a decade’s worth of experience as a writer, researcher and analyst in the legal gambling industry and is co-founder of BettingUSA.com. As a former professional online poker player, Wes approaches his work from the viewpoint of players.