Share 
FanDuel, in lieu of securing one of two untethered sports betting licenses issued by the Missouri Gaming Commission last week, has partnered with Major League Soccer franchise St. Louis City SC.
That move allows FanDuel to seek one of the 31 tethered licenses – 12 online and 19 retail – available in Missouri.
FanDuel President Mike Raffensperger heralded the partnership.
“Missouri is home to some of the most passionate sports fans in the country, and we are thrilled to partner with St. Louis City SC to introduce our industry-leading product to the Show Me State. We look forward to supporting the team and engaging with the community as we bring America’s No. 1 sportsbook to fans across Missouri.”
FanDuel falls short on securing untethered license
Last week’s somewhat shocking decision – with Circa Sports unexpectedly joining DraftKings as one of the two untethered license winners – necessitated the move.
Although FanDuel has an existing relationship with Boyd Gaming, there’s a transition afoot that makes this new partnership necessary, according to Legal Sports Report.
“The two sides recently tweaked the agreement that helped FanDuel expand across the United States. Flutter bought back the 5% stake in FanDuel that Boyd received in 2018 as part of the market-access agreement for $1.755 billion. They also renegotiated their agreement to pay fixed fees across five states, not including Missouri.
“The new terms will save Flutter $35 million over the second half of this year. The sale of Boyd’s 5% stake should close in the third quarter.”
FanDuel representatives claimed in that article that it has more than 110,000 customers in Missouri who have been betting in neighboring states. Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, and Kansas, all bordering the Show Me State, are among the 23 states (plus the District of Columbia) where FanDuel currently operates.
St. Louis City SC struggling this season
St. Louis City SC is technically the only MLS franchise in Missouri. Sporting Kansas City (initially named the Kansas City Wiz) was one of the 10 original franchises when the league started up in 1996, but it’s headquartered on the Kansas side of Kansas City.
St. Louis began play in 2023, making the playoffs in its first season as the top team in the Western Conference. This year has been more challenging. The team is currently 14th out of 15 teams in the conference, and on its second head coach this season, having dismissed its first coach in May after just 15 matches.
Sportsbook operators have until Sept. 12 to apply for a tethered license. So far, just Fanatics Sportsbook and Underdog have applied.
