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Operators looking to offer sports betting in Missouri can now apply for one of the 21 available licenses. The application process began on May 15.
There is a baker’s dozen of licenses available to the 13 casinos in the state and six more up for grabs for Missouri’s professional sports teams. There are also two direct mobile licenses open to operators not affiliated with a casino or sports team.
The state’s gaming commission expects to launch Missouri sports betting on Dec. 1, the date approved by voters last November.
Missouri the 39th state to legalize sports betting
The Missouri Gaming Commission will accept applications for the 19 tethered sports betting licenses until Sept. 12. Operators seeking one of the two untethered licenses have until July 15 to apply. The commission will announce the two “at-large” operators on Aug. 15.
Voters in the Show Me State narrowly approved a resolution in November 2024 to allow sports betting in the state. The measure passed with just 50.05% in favor. Amendment 2 called for sports betting to begin by Dec. 1.
Missouri will be the 39th state with legalized retail sports wagering and the 31st to allow online sports betting.
The state’s casinos and major professional sports teams can apply for a license to operate both a retail sportsbook and an online sportsbook through a partnership with a sports betting operator.
Bet365 a good bet to get a license
Bet365 is one operator expected to seek a sports betting license in Missouri. The global brand, founded in 2000, operates sportsbooks in several US states and partnered with MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals in March.
That partnership, according to a release, “includes advertising rights on the Cardinals radio broadcasts, Cardinals Insider TV show, cardinals.com, and signage at the ballpark that will be visible on television broadcasts, along with the use of the team logo and sponsorship of the team’s starting lineups at Busch Stadium.”
The multi-year deal made bet365 the Cardinals’ first official sports betting partner.
BetMGM planned ahead
BetMGM was well ahead of the curve on sports betting in Missouri. The sportsbook signed a multi-year agreement with the Kansas City Royals in 2022. Back then, sports betting was considered a pipe dream, with Missouri lawmakers failing year after year to approve it.
BetMGM also agreed to a multi-year partnership with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022, the same year that Missouri’s neighbor, Kansas, launched sports betting. According to a release:
“Under the agreement, BetMGM signage will be present inside GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. BetMGM content also will be featured across the Chiefs’ digital channels with special offers, game day experiences and prizes available to fans and season ticket members.”
FanDuel and other major brands expected to seek licenses
FanDuel, which partners with Boyd Gaming, operator of Ameristar Casino St. Charles and Ameristar Casino Kansas City, and Caesars, which operates three casinos in Missouri, are expected to seek licenses in Missouri.
Other major players in the US sports betting market, including DraftKings and Penn Entertainment’s ESPN Bet, are also likely to enter the burgeoning market.
