Missouri Online Gambling

Missouri has 13 retail casinos. All 13 of Missouri’s casinos are on riverboats, and in fact several are waterborne crafts or floating rafts that are much closer to actual boats than “riverboat casinos” in other states. There can be thousands of slot machines and hundreds of table games onboard, and there are several live poker rooms among the casinos, as well. The largest riverboat casino in the state is the Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City.

Online casinos are not legal in Missouri at this time. In the past there have been bills proposing to legalize not just online sportsbooks but online casinos in Missouri as well, but none have managed to gain much support. For now, those in Missouri wanting to play casino games online can legally do so on social and sweepstakes sites featuring slots, table games and more. The sites use virtual currencies, but in some cases offer ways to redeem winnings for cash prizes.

Missouri sports betting is not currently legal, but it could become legal soon. Bills introduced in both the House and Senate appear unlikely to pass in 2024. However, a ballot initiative proposing a constitutional amendment could appear on the November ballot, and if voters were to approve it there may be legal sports betting in Missouri by 2025.

The Missouri Lottery first launched in 1986. Players can take part in draw games and scratchers. There is also a keno option that holds drawings every four minutes. The biggest games are the multi-state jackpot drawings such as Powerball and Mega Millions. Missouri does not allow the purchase of online lottery tickets, so you need to visit a retailer in the state in order to play. However, the Missouri Lottery does maintain a player’s club to reward players for continued loyalty.

Despite the fact that Missouri shares a border with top states for horse racing, including Kentucky and Arkansas, the state does not offer  many options for horse betting. Pari-mutuel wagering on horse races is technically legal in Missouri, but there are currently no active tracks in the state. Meanwhile, off-track betting sites are not allowed in Missouri. The state also appears not to permit online horse betting, either, although there are advance deposit wagering sites that accept Missourians.

Daily fantasy sports contests are completely legal in Missouri. A 2016 law compelled DFS companies like DraftKings and FanDuel to apply for licenses (at a cost of $10,000) and pay 11.5% of their revenue to the state as tax. Missouri is therefore one of a small number of states that have explicitly legalized DFS. Top providers like FanDuel and DraftKings feature the usual slate of contests for Missouri players including in-game showdowns, tournaments and more.