Missouri’s first legal online sportsbooks could start taking bets as early as June 30, state regulators confirmed.
“Why couldn't we flip a switch the next day,” Zimmerman said. “There’s just so much more to it.”
Missouri sports betting background
Missouri voters narrowly approved a 2024 ballot measure that okays legal statewide mobile sportsbooks as well as retail books at state casinos and professional sports venues. The ballot measure made the MGC and other state agencies finalize additional rules and licensing requirements before wagering could begin.
The process includes advancing proposed Missouri sports betting rules to the governor’s office as well as the Secretary of State for review. State law also requires a 30-day public comment period before they're enacted.
That comment period should begin by the end of the month, Zimmerman said. This shouldn't delay implementation of the rules.
The MGC is also preparing to finalize licensing applications by early March. From that opening, interested sportsbooks have roughly two months to submit their application.
Zimmerman said the MGC is expected to vote on application approval at the commission’s meeting scheduled for either May 28 or June 25.
“If there’s one advantage of being relatively late to the game it’s we're able to have conversations with these other states that have sports betting,” Zimmerman said. “We’re not reinventing the wheel.”
Missouri sports betting overview
The Show Me State is set to have as many as 21 mobile sportsbooks. The number of applicants – and even the potential available licenses – haven't been determined.
The Missouri Attorney General’s office is reviewing the 2024 ballot measure that approved sports betting to determine if each of the state’s six casino operators are qualified for a license or if each of the state’s 13 individual casinos is eligible. The uncertain language led Caesars, which manages three Missouri properties, to fund a campaign to defeat the ballot measure.
There will be 21 eligible licenses if officials determine each casino can apply. That number drops to 14 if only operators are eligible.
The ballot measure makes clear the state’s six major professional sports organizations can each apply for a mobile sportsbook license via a partnership with a third-party operator. There are also two “untethered” licenses available that don’t have to partner with a casino or sports team.
FanDuel and DraftKings, the two U.S. market share leaders that spent more than $30 million to support the ballot measure, are the favorites for the untethered licenses. Zimmerman said Tuesday regulators haven't pre-determined the winning operators for the two spots.
During Super Bowl LIX, Chiefs fans in Missouri couldn't legally place online bets, while Eagles fans in Pennsylvania had no such restrictions. I wonder how much revenue Missouri missed out on by not legalizing sports betting in time for the Chiefs' big moment. 🤔 https://t.co/EhTitqvSC5
— Ramma Sharifi (@RammaSharifi) February 17, 2025
DraftKings reaffirmed during its recent earnings call it would, as expected, pursue a Missouri sports betting license. FanDuel is also virtually certain to apply, as well.
BetMGM, the nation’s No. 3 market share operator, also said it will seek to go live in Missouri during its most recent earnings announcement. The company already has a partnership with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs.
Caesars, despite opposing the measure, is also expected to launch its mobile sportsbook. PENN Entertainment and Bally’s, which both operate Missouri casinos, should also launch their respective ESPN BET and Bally Bet sportsbooks in the state.
The potential for as many as 21 licenses mean virtually any other national operator would have an avenue for a Missouri sports betting license. Bet365, Fanatics, BetRivers and Hard Rock Bet are among the leading contenders.
Once live, Missouri will be the 31st state to accept legal statewide mobile sports bets and 39th overall.
