Share
The Missouri Gaming Commission is now accepting public comment through July 16 on the state’s sports betting rules.
According to the MGC website:
“If you would like to submit a public comment on the sports wagering rules that were published in the Missouri Register on June 16, 2025, please submit comments to [email protected]. … Comments must reference a specific rule. Providing specific alternative language is encouraged.”
Voters narrowly approved the ballot initiative that opened the door to Missouri sports betting.
Rules finalized by Aug. 30
After the passage of the sports betting amendment last November, operators and bettors were hopeful that wagering could begin this summer.
Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, who successfully blocked sports betting legislation numerous times while serving in the Missouri Senate, rejected emergency rules in February that would have enabled an earlier launch. The rules will now go into effect on Aug. 30, with the legal market beginning on Dec. 1.
The MGC opened the application process for operators to secure licenses in May. Thirty-one of the available 33 sports wagering licenses – 19 retail and 12 mobile – require operators to be “tethered” to a riverboat casino or professional sports team. The deadline for those license applications is Sept. 12.
The other two mobile licenses are “untethered” licenses that don’t require an operator to partner with a team or casino. The deadline to apply for those is July 15.
Some big brands yet to apply
Two applicants seeking untethered licenses are known: DraftKings, which could also soon be eligible to apply for a tethered license, and Underdog, best known as a daily fantasy sports operator with an online sportsbook active in North Carolina.
Other major sportsbook operators like BetMGM and bet365, given their partnerships with professional sports teams in Missouri, are also expected to contend for tethered sportsbook licenses. Another big name in American sports betting is FanDuel. It has signaled its intention to operate in Missouri, announcing it in a March earnings call by its parent company, Flutter Entertainment.
FanDuel and DraftKings dominate the market across the Mississippi River in Illinois. According to Illinois Policy, bettors wagered more than $316.1 million on FanDuel and $291.8 million on DraftKings in 2024, with third-place BetMGM far behind with $31 million.
That pair’s dominance has led them to pay a 40% tax rate on revenue, along with a new $.50 per-bet tax. That resulted in both enacting a 50-cent surcharge for Illinois bettors. In contrast, Missouri’s tax for all operators will be a flat 10%.
The MGC will host a public hearing on July 17 at its Jefferson City headquarters.
