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There’s now competition for the two untethered sports betting licenses being offered in Missouri.
Circa Sports submitted an application right before the July 15 deadline and will now join FanDuel and DraftKings in vying for the coveted licenses.
The Missouri Gaming Commission is expected to announce the two winners on Aug. 15.
Tethered license deadline is Sept. 12
Per the process stemming from last November’s voter approval of Missouri sports betting, 31 of the 33 available licenses – 19 retail and 12 mobile – will be awarded to operators partnered with a sports team or a casino in the state. But just two untethered licenses are up for grabs.
Operators have until Sept. 12 to apply for the tethered licenses. All three operators that applied for untethered licenses can also apply and possibly hold a tethered license.
This week, the MGC held a public hearing reviewing commentary on sports betting rules, and the agency plans for the three applicants seeking untethered licenses to appear before it on Aug. 13.
Once up and running, Missouri will be the 39th state with legalized retail sports wagering and the 31st to allow online sports betting.
Circa Sports operates in 5 states
Circa Sports, which touts its “aggressive, higher-than-most betting limits for everyone,” is currently available to bettors in five states: Nevada, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, and Kentucky, the latter three bordering the Show Me State.
Last August, Circa entered the Kentucky market via a temporary sportsbook established at The Mint Gaming Hall Kentucky Downs in Franklin, strategically located near the Tennessee border, a 45-minute drive from Nashville.
It also operates a mobile app throughout the state via a partnership with the Cumberland Run property in Corbin, KY.
Underdog still only applicant for tethered license
Major players like BetMGM and bet365 have partnerships with Missouri professional sports teams, allowing them to apply for tethered licenses. Others are partnered with casinos in the state.
The MGC recently revealed that Underdog, the daily fantasy sports operator that currently runs a sportsbook in just one state, North Carolina, is one of the tethered license applicants.
In April, Underdog announced a DFS partnership with the United Football League, a relatively new pro football league that includes the St. Louis Battlehawks as one of its eight teams.
