Missouri Sports Betting Ballot Measure Approved. What Comes Next?

Missouri bettors narrowly approved a constitutional amendment that will allow mobile and retail sportsbooks. Here’s everything Show Me State bettors need to know about the coming sports betting launch.

When will sports betting begin?

Language in the ballot measure requires the state’s first sportsbooks to take bets before Dec. 1, 2025. The first books will likely open before that date.

In most legal sports betting states it has taken six to nine months to approve and launch sportsbooks. That would put a go-live date sometime around summer 2025. The sportsbooks themselves will also push to go live before the fall football season, perennially the most lucrative time of the year.

Missouri bettors are still going to have to cross state lines to place a bet on the Chiefs to win this year's Super Bowl, but I expect they'll be able to do so before the 2025 season kicks off their run at the four-peat

— Ryan Butler (@ButlerBets) November 6, 2024

Bettors hope that betting could begin in time for the upcoming Super Bowl in February or the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in March, the two most wagered upon sporting events annually, but that would be an unusually quick turnaround. 

Though sportsbooks have gone through this process in many other states, Missouri regulators still need to approve each operator individually. Third-party labs will also have to test the books. Plus, Missouri will have to create a catalog of eligible bet types. 

Which online sportsbooks will go live in Missouri?

It’s not determined which or how many books will enter the state but we have a good idea of leading contenders.

DraftKings and FanDuel are locks. The two U.S. market share leaders contributed $40 million in combined contributions to approve Missouri sports betting. They will take bets in the state.

BetMGM, BetRivers and Underdog have publicly expressed intentions to launch in Missouri. Other notable national brands including bet365 and Fanatics are also leading contenders.

Hard Rock and Circa have taken a more deliberate national expansion approach, but both operate sportsbooks in neighboring states and would likely be interested in Missouri.

Three of the state’s six casino operators manage national mobile sportsbooks and will have market access. That includes ESPN BET (Penn Entertainment), Bally Bet (Bally’s) and Caesars, which spent more than $14 million opposing the campaign.

The ballot measure permits up to 14 mobile sportsbooks but it’s unlikely each spot will be filled. Only a handful of states have more than a dozen sportsbooks.

Where will there be retail sportsbooks?

Expect most if not all of Missouri’s 13 brick-and-mortar casinos to open retail sportsbooks or at least wagering kiosks. Though major casino operators are beginning to rethink in-person betting options as mobile wagering becomes more possible, operators still like having these options on their casino floors.

Missouri will also be among the first states to allow in-person sports betting within or adjacent to professional sports venues.

The St. Louis Cardinals, who were among the most outspoken proponents of mobile sports betting, are set to open a retail sportsbook in the Ballpark Village dining and entertainment district downtown. St. Louis SC and the St. Louis Blues have less defined retail areas surrounding their respective stadiums but they, too, would be positioned to open books.

Launch probability tiers IF Missouri voters approve sports betting:

Guarantees: FanDuel, DraftKings
Locks: BetMGM, Bally Bet
Very likely: Fanatics, bet365, ESPN BET
Are Already Live In Illinois, So Yeah(?): BetRivers, Hard Rock, Circa
Opposed Referendum But Still Might: Caesars

— Ryan Butler (@ButlerBets) October 24, 2024

The Kansas City Chiefs and Royals share a stadium district that one or both may depart in the coming years. It appears both franchises will wait to open a sportsbook until their stadium situations are settled, but they may open temporary books before then.

The NWSL’s Kansas City Current can also open a sportsbook. Their stadium is adjacent to Bally’s Casino KC.

In some states that approved both online and retail betting simultaneously, in-person books (which have fewer testing requirements) were able to open before their digital counterparts. It’s too early to tell in Missouri, but it’s possible the first legal bet is placed in person at one of the stadiums or, more likely, a casino.

Can I bet on college sports in Missouri?

Yes, bettors will be able to wager moneyline, spread, and totals on college sports programs, including in-state teams such as the University of Missouri. Bettors will not be able to wager on individual player props on Missouri university student athletes.

Otherwise, bettors should expect a wide range of leagues and bet types. Regulators will still need to complete the wagering catalog but expect thousands of available bets across hundreds of foreign and domestic sports organizations.

Is online casino gaming legal now, too?

No, Missouri still does not permit iCasinos or legal online slots or table games. Only seven states have legal iCasinos and it could be years until Missouri considers these options.

How did Missouri sports betting pass?

Missouri voters amended the constitution to allow sports betting by one of the narrowest margins for any ballot measure nationwide, gambling related or not.

Out of nearly three million votes cast, voters backed the “yes” campaign by roughly 5,000 votes – or about 0.14% of all tabulated ballots. For Missouri bettors, that margin was plenty.

Show Me State lawmakers had tried for several years to approve legal betting through the legislature, but these efforts were stalled by efforts to tie sportsbook approval with the regulation of unlicensed gaming terminals in truck stops and convenience stores.

Three quick thoughts on Missouri's #sportsbetting ballot measure, which is set to usher in retail and online wagering by Dec. 1, 2025:

1. ATTRACTIVE TAM. We project a Year 5 OSB market of $548mm in GGR, implying GGR-per-adult of ~$121, which we regard as conservative. We see TAM… pic.twitter.com/h2hT984F9V

— Chris Krafcik (@ckrafcik) November 6, 2024

Frustrated by the legislature’s inaction, DraftKings, FanDuel and the six major pro sports teams worked to get a measure on the 2024 ballot. The group narrowly collected enough signatures to put it before voters, and then survived a last-second legal challenge.

It was closer than many bettors would have hoped for, but after a long journey, Missouri will have legal betting options in 2025.

How many states have legal sports betting?

Missouri is the 39th state to approve some form of legal sports betting and the 31st to approve mobile wagering. Seven of Missouri’s eight neighboring states offer sportsbooks, with Oklahoma the lone exception.

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