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

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 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 , 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 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 multiple Missouri sports betting bills in the past because they didn’t include language legalizing VLTs.

Lawmakers considered four Missouri sports betting bills in 2024:

  • : 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
  • : Nearly the same as SB 852 but with a 10% tax on sports wagering and authorizes video lottery terminals at fraternal organizations, veterans’ organizations, and qualifying truck stops
  • : 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
  • : Nearly the same as HB 2835 except this bill authorizes video lottery terminals at fraternal organizations, veterans’ organizations, and truck stops

Missouri sports betting proponents introduced multiple bills during the 2023 session.

  • : 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
  • : Similar to HB 556 but with slightly adjusted licensing and application fees
  • : 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
  • : 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.
  • : 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
  • : 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, lawmakers introduced three competing bills that would authorize online sports betting and retail sportsbooks.

Casinos, online sportsbook operators, and six professional sports teams eventually rallied behind  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.

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:

Lawmakers also introduced two Missouri sports betting bills in 2021 ( and ), but both died shortly after their introductions.

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

Missouri came into 2020 as a strong contender to legalize sports betting, lawmakers introduced five sports betting bills in 2020 before the legislative session was cut short when COVID-19 came to the Show Me State.

  • would have legalized retail sportsbooks at casinos, online sports betting, and a 9% tax
  • sought to authorize retail sportsbooks at casinos, online sports betting, and a 6.75% tax
  • called for legalizing retail sportsbooks at casinos, online sports betting , and permitted the lottery to offer parlay-style sports wagers
  • called for a licensing fee of $10,000 plus a $5,000 annual renewal fee, and a 0.75% royalty fee to be paid to the sports leagues and set the tax rate at 6.25%
  • 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:

  • included a 0.5% integrity fee applied to total wagering handle, which has proven highly unpopular among industry types and some lawmakers
  • SB 222 also sought to legalize both in-person and online betting but included no integrity fee and called for a lower tax rate of just 6.75%

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

  • initially had nothing to do with 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.
  • wanted to legalize sports betting at casinos and sought a 1% integrity fee on total wagering handle

Missouri Daily Fantasy Sports

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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 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

Yes. Missouri voters approved Amendment 2 during the November 2024 elections. The amendment authorizes online sports betting and retail sportsbooks in Missouri.

Legal online sportsbooks will launch in Missouri no later than December 1st, 2025.

In the meantime, pick’em fantasy sports apps like PrizePicks offer parlay-style contests for real money payouts. In addition, sweepstakes sports sites like Fliff Social Sportsbook offers a way to place wagers on upcoming games and win coins redeemable for real money.

Licensed Missouri sports betting apps and retail sportsbooks will accept customers 21 and older.

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.