Missouri Sports Betting

Legal online betting options in Missouri currently consist of daily fantasy sports apps and social sportsbooks based on US sweepstakes laws.

Online sports betting remains prohibited in Missouri, but there are signs the Show-Me State will join the ranks of legal sports betting jurisdictions eventually. Lawmakers have introduced legislation to authorize mobile betting and retail sportsbooks in Missouri every year since 2018, but differing views over the details have tripped them up every time.

Although every effort to legalize Missouri sports betting has stumbled at some point along the way, there is a clear desire among many in the legislature to tackle the issue and bring legal sports betting to Missouri.

Legal Missouri Betting Sites

Fliff$100 Welcome BonusFliff Promo Code: BUSABONUS Get Bonus
OwnersBox$500 Deposit BonusOwnersBox Referral Code: BUSA Get Bonus

21+ and present in MO. T&Cs Apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-522-4700.

Other forms of gambling legal in Missouri include riverboat casinos and the state lottery. The Missouri Gaming Commission serves as the state’s primary regulator, overseeing casino gambling, daily fantasy sports and charitable gaming.

Missouri Sports Betting Outlook

Missouri is likely on track to legalize sports betting sooner or later. Lawmakers have introduced multiple bills every year going back to 2018 that would legalize online sports betting, retail sportsbooks, or both.

More importantly, the legislature is mostly in agreement that they need to legalize and regulate sports betting in Missouri. However, Missouri has considered bills in each of the last six legislative sessions only to fail near the finish line.

Missouri lawmakers are growing increasingly frustrated as they watch nearly every neighboring state legalize sports betting and collect tax revenue. It’s clear that a growing number of their constituents want legal online sports betting in Missouri as well. For instance, geolocation firm GeoComply reported it blocked more than 431,000 attempts to access online sportsbooks from within Missouri during the 2024 Super Bowl, a substantial increase from the 250,000 attempts it blocked the previous year.

The primary holdup to date has been 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 is adamant that any bill to legalize online sports betting in Missouri must include provisions authorizing VLTs. Meanwhile, most lawmakers and Missouri casinos oppose any legislation legalizing VLTs. Sen. Hoskins has stymied multiple Missouri sports betting bills in the past because they did not include language legalizing VLTs.

2024 Missouri Online Sports Betting Update

Four Missouri sports betting bills introduced in 2024 would authorize online sports betting and retail sportsbooks:

  • SB 852: Authorizes online sports betting and retail sportsbooks at riverboat casinos; professional sports teams and casinos may apply for licenses to operate one online sports betting platform apiece; 12% tax on sports wagering
  • SB 824: Nearly the same as SB 852 except this bill establishes a 10% tax on sports wagering and authorizes video lottery terminals at fraternal organizations, veterans’ organizations, and qualifying truck stops
  • HB 2331: Authorizes online sports betting and retail sportsbooks; professional teams may operate one online betting platform each; licensed casinos may each operate up to three individual online betting brands and one retail sportsbook; 10% tax on sports wagering
  • HB 2835: Nearly the same as HB 2835 except this bill authorizes video lottery terminals at fraternal organizations, veterans’ organizations, and truck stops

In addition, Missouri’s professional sports teams have backed a petition drive to put sports betting on the November 2024 ballot. The Winning for Missouri Education coalition seeks to bypass the legislative process by taking the issue directly to voters.

The petition seems to be on track to put sports betting on the ballot. If voters approve approve the measure in November, Missouri lawmakers will approve legislation allowing casinos and professional sports teams to offer online sports betting and operate retail sportsbooks at casinos. The law would also implement a 10% tax and ensure Missouri’s Compulsive Gaming Fund receives at least $5 million in funding per year.

Missouri sports betting proponents introduced multiple bills during the 2023 session. Although none of them passed, the bills provide a preview of what sports betting may look like in Missouri if pro-sports betting lawmakers get their way.

  • HB 556: Authorizes online sports betting and retail sportsbooks at casinos; 10% tax on revenue, $50,000 application fee and $150,000 annual renewal fee for casinos; $150,000 initial application fee and $125,000 annual renewal fee for online wagering platform operators
  • HB 581: Similar to HB 556 but with slightly adjusted licensing and application fees
  • HB 953: Allows casinos to apply for licenses to operate retail sportsbooks and up to three individually branded online sports betting platforms apiece; $50,000 application fee and annual $20,000 renewal fee for online sports betting operators; $50,000 application fee for casinos
  • SB 279: Modifies existing law to define sports betting as a game of skill and remove sports betting from anti-gambling provisions; does not include any additional details on rules, taxes, licensing fees, etc.
  • SB 1: Prefiled in late 2022; authorizes online sports betting and retail sportsbooks at casinos; allows professional sports teams to offer mobile wagering near their stadiums; authorizes video lottery terminals at truck stops, fraternal/veterans organizations, and businesses with liquor licenses
  • SB 30: Prefiled in late 2022; same as SB 1 except no provisions for video lottery terminals

Missouri looked like a great candidate to legalize sports betting early in 2022, with lawmakers signaling their intent to introduce at least three bills that would authorize online sports betting and retail sportsbooks. Casinos, online sportsbook operators, and six professional sports teams eventually rallied behind HB 2502, which passed the House in April 2022.

However, differing opinions on tax rates and an attempt to insert language authorizing video lottery terminals (VLTs) derailed the effort in the Senate. Had the bill passed into law, the first Missouri sports betting sites and retail sportsbooks may have been open for business by now.

Missouri lawmakers vowed to try again in 2023, and they prefiled two bills (SB 1 and SB 30) ahead of the next legislation session.

Each bill would legalize online sports betting in Missouri, retail sportsbooks at casinos, and authorize professional sports teams to offer mobile wagering near their stadiums. However, just one of them would authorize video lottery terminals, which was the sticking point that derailed a promising effort in 2022.

Missouri’s professional sports teams entered the debate in 2021, throwing their collective weight behind nine ballot initiatives that year.

The various proposals called for tax rates ranging from 6.75% to 21%. Some proposals explicitly legalized Missouri online sports betting, while others seemed to be intentionally vague so lawmakers could fill in the details later. Additionally, some proposals required operators to rely on official league data to settle certain categories of wagers.

Readers can see the full text of each proposal below:

2022-0682022-0692022-070
2022-0712022-0722022-073
2022-0742022-0752022-076

Jefferson City attorney Alixandra Cossette filed the proposals on behalf of the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, Kansas City Royals, and St. Louis City SC in October 2021 to initiate the process that would put one or more of the proposals on the ballot.

Any sports betting referendum proposal must receive signatures from 8% of voters to appear on the ballot during the next election. Then, a majority of voters must approve the initiative, which will prompt the legislature to draw up corresponding legislation.

Missouri online sports betting legislation introduced in 2018, 2019 and 2020 took a variety of formats. Some bills sought a competitive, low tax environment, while others called for considerable taxes plus integrity fees to be paid to the sports leagues.

Missouri came into 2020 as a strong contender to legalize sports betting. Then, COVID-19 came to the Show Me State and lawmakers decided to end the spring legislative session early, before they could reach a consensus on how sports betting should be regulated.

Lawmakers introduced five sports betting bills in 2020 before the legislative session was cut short. None managed to advance very far before the end of the session, but they do provide some insight into how various pro-sports betting legislators are thinking.

HB 2284 by Rep Cody Smith would have legalized retail sportsbooks at casinos and permitted each license to operate up to three individual mobile betting platforms. The bill would have established a $25,000 licensing fee plus $50,000 annual renewal fee, required operators to rely on official league data for in-play betting if requested by sports leagues and set the tax rate on sports betting at 9%.

HB 2318 by Rep Phil Christofanelli also sought to authorize retail sportsbooks at casinos and permit each to operate up to three mobile betting platforms. Under this bill, licenses would have cost $50,000 to be followed by a $20,000 annual renewal fee, set a tax rate of 6.75% and did not include an official data mandate.

HB 2088 by Rep. Dan Shaul called for legalizing retail sportsbooks at casinos, mobile betting and permitted the lottery to offer parlay-style sports wagers. Licensing fees for casinos to offer sports betting were to be set at $25,000 plus a $50,000 renewal fee, while the bill also included an official data provision for in-play wagers and established a 9% tax rate.

Two other bills introduced in the Senate also called for retail sportsbooks at casinos and mobile betting.

SB 754 by Sen Tony Luetkemeyer called for a licensing fee of $10,000 plus $5,000 annual renewal fee, included a 0.75% royalty fee to be paid to the sports leagues and set the tax rate at 6.25%.

SB 567 by Sen Denny Hoskins sought a $25,000 licensing fee, $50,000 annual renewal fee, 0.25% royalty fee to be paid to the leagues and set the tax rate at 9%.

A pair of bills introduced in 2019 called for legalizing sports betting at casinos and online via licensed providers working in partnership with local casinos. Both bills were similar in general but diverged on tax rates and integrity fees.

One of those sought to authorize the state’s casinos to offer in-person and mobile betting in return for paying a $10,000 licensing fee, 2% administrative fee and 12% tax rate. SB 44 included a 0.5% integrity fee applied to total wagering handle, which has proven highly unpopular among industry types and some lawmakers

A separate but similar bill, SB 222, was introduced that same month and also sought to legalize both in-person and online betting. Where this bill differed from SB 44 is that it included no integrity fee and called for a lower tax rate of just 6.75%.

2018 also saw the introduction of two sports betting bills contingent on the Supreme Court overturning PASPA.

The first was bill SB 767 introduced in January of 2018. This bill’s original intent was not to legalize sports betting; it was a bill that wanted to allow video lottery machines to be installed in certain locations outside of casinos. Existing casinos were opposed to the bill due to concerns all those new machines would impact their revenues, so lawmakers added language to the bill allowing casinos to conduct sports betting.

A second bill (SB 1013) dealt specifically with sports betting and also wanted to legalize it at existing casinos. However, this one was different in that it called for a controversial 1% integrity fee to be applied to total betting handle and donated to the professional sports leagues.

Missouri Daily Fantasy Sports

OwnersBox$500 Deposit BonusOwnersBox Referral Code: BUSAGet Bonus

Daily fantasy sports in Missouri was legalized in 2016 with a law clarifying their legal status and implementing consumer protection measures. Fantasy sites operated in Missouri prior to the new law but did so in an environment of legal uncertainty.

The state legislature decided to take up the issue in 2016 and drafted HB 1941 to expressly authorize and regulate daily fantasy sports sites and apps. Governor Jay Nixon signed the bill into law in June 2016.

Under the Missouri Fantasy Sports Consumer Protection Act, fantasy operators must apply for a license from the Missouri Gaming Commission, hold customer funds in a separate account segregated from operational funds, offer self-exclusion programs, ensure all customers are 18 or older, verify the identity of every customer and ensure that confidential information available to employees of daily fantasy sports sites is protected so as to ensure a level playing field for all customers.

One point of contention regarding the bill was the inclusion of relatively high fees for DFS sites seeking a license. Operators are required to pay for the cost of the initial background check, up to a maximum of $50,000.Missouri DFS operators will also be required to pay an annual tax of 11.5% of the previous year’s net revenue. Additionally, sites will be asked to pay an annual licensing fee of $10,000 or 10% of the previous year’s net revenue, whichever is smaller.

The Missouri Gaming Commission keeps a list of licensed fantasy sports operators available for viewing here.

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.

Read more about the Missouri horse racing betting industry here:

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 it Legal to Bet Online 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 this state. Authorities focus instead on 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

Not yet. However, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are interested in legalizing sports betting and seem likely to reach an agreement sooner or later. Recent proposals indicate Missouri will eventually pass a law authorizing retail sportsbooks and online sports betting.

Online sports betting isn’t yet legal in Missouri, but fans have alternative options in the meantime.

Legal Missouri betting apps like PrizePicks offer parlay-style contests for real money, but they’re legal because they meet the legal definition of daily fantasy sports. In addition, Fliff Social Sportsbook offers a way to place wagers on upcoming games and win coins redeemable for real money.

Missouri is a strong candidate to legalize sports wagering within the next few years. Legal sports betting has bipartisan support in the legislature – the biggest hurdle lawmakers must overcome is finding a compromise on the finer points of their various proposals. The first Missouri sportsbooks and betting sites probably aren’t more than a couple of years out.

No. The Missouri Lottery does not sell lottery tickets online nor does it offer a subscription service. All tickets must be purchased at approved retailers inside the state. The MO Lottery FAQ page explains that the state does not currently sell any tickets online whatsoever.