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
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 Daily Fantasy Sports
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.