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Missouri sports betting launched this week, as the Show Me State became the 32nd state to legalize online sports wagering. The launch was a major gambling expansion for the state, leading some to wonder if Missouri online casinos could be on the horizon.
The Dec. 1 sports wagering launch brought eight top Missouri online sportsbooks to the state. The majority of the companies now operating sports wagering platforms in Missouri, including BetMGM, Caesars, Fanatics, DraftKings and FanDuel, also have iGaming products. They are packaged together in a single app in the handful of states that have legalized both.
While those gaming companies would no doubt love to further expand their digital footprint in Missouri with their iGaming platforms, legislative and public interest in having a legal, regulated online casino market remain uncertain.
Missouri lawmakers failed to legalize sports wagering
Online gambling sites have been legalized in just seven states: Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.
In each of those states, real-money iGaming was legalized through the state legislatures. In most of the states, online gambling was legalized prior to or simultaneously with sports wagering legalization.
The West Virginia Legislature legalized iGaming about a year after sports wagering. Rhode Island, the most recent state to approve online gambling sites (Bally’s iGaming platform went live in 2024), waited more than five years after sports wagering went live.
The Missouri General Assembly has traditionally had a difficult time passing new legislation related to gambling. It’s usually due to political disagreements, issues with taxation and regulations, and problem gambling concerns.
For example, every year since the 2018 Supreme Court decision that opened the door for states to allow online gambling, Missouri lawmakers introduced bills to legalize sports wagering. And each time, those efforts failed.
Little interest for iGaming seen at statehouse
Online casino legislation has been rare over the past few years in Missouri, with the focus squarely on online sports wagering.
In 2021, Rep. Dan Houx, a key sports wagering supporter, filed HB 1364, which sought to legalize online sports betting, online poker, and online casinos. The bill would have given Missouri’s existing land-based casinos the authority to partner with iGaming operators to launch online gambling sites in the state.
HB 1364 failed to even advance to a committee hearing, with some lawmakers balking at the proposal because it would legalize several gambling industries all at once.
No current Missouri lawmakers have publicly commented on iGaming legislation or expressed an interest in pursuing it. Officials are likely watching to see how the state’s brand-new sports wagering market goes before considering further gambling expansion. That makes it highly unlikely for any iGaming legislation to be passed in 2026.
Public support for Missouri gambling expansion is split
Ultimately, Missouri online sports wagering was legalized after voters approved Amendment 2 at the ballot box in 2024. The successful ballot initiative amended the gambling statutes in the state constitution to allow for regulated sports wagering. Since 2018, Missouri is one of six states that has successfully bypassed lawmakers to let voters decide on legalization.
Proponents of iGaming could follow a similar tact and gather enough signatures to put it on a future ballot. Interestingly, online casinos have never been legalized through a ballot initiative in any other state. And, at least at this point, Missourians haven’t shown overwhelming support for gambling expansion.
Amendment 2 passed with just 50.05% of the vote. Another 2024 gambling-expansion ballot initiative, which would have amended the state constitution to allow for a new casino to be built at the Lake of the Ozarks, failed after only 47.6% of voters voted in favor.
There has yet to be any public opinion polling directly related to Missourians’ feelings about iGaming legalization, so it is unclear whether or not a ballot initiative could pass. The 2024 ballot results indicate that residents are evenly split on gambling expansion in the state.
Could budget concerns persuade lawmakers?
While Missouri is unlikely to see any meaningful movement toward iGaming legalization in the near future, all hope is not lost for progress to be made down the line.
A well-funded ballot initiative could potentially lead to another constitutional amendment to pave the way for online casinos. The pro-Amendment 2 campaign was funded by millions of dollars from sports wagering heavyweights DraftKings and FanDuel, with support from the state’s pro sports franchises, which likely helped put it over the top.
While the state’s sports teams probably wouldn’t lend support for iGaming, existing Missouri casinos could join the effort if they were given the majority of operating licenses. Conversely, a significant opposition campaign, which would likely play up the “a casino in every pocket” angle, could also potentially sway public opinion away from iGaming.
In the Missouri General Assembly, 2026 is an election year, with all of the House seats and half of the Senate seats up for grabs in November. New blood could shift the Assembly’s approach to and cooperation on gambling expansion in 2027 and beyond, particularly if there is public support for iGaming.
The General Assembly could also lean into iGaming legislation if tax revenue could be diverted to help address the state budget shortfall. Missouri is facing a $1 billion shortfall projected for fiscal year 2027. One of Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe’s campaign promises was to eliminate state income tax, something that would probably further increase the budget deficit if enacted.
Tax revenue from Missouri sports wagering is earmarked for education and problem gambling services funding. But some states, including Pennsylvania and Connecticut, were motivated to legalize iGaming because some of the tax revenue goes directly to the general budget and public services.
Several factors could influence iGaming in the future
The legalization of iGaming in Missouri isn’t likely coming any time soon. But, while the Missouri General Assembly hasn’t had much luck with gambling expansion legislation, shifting opinions, budget needs, prosperous iCasino markets in other states, and a smooth online sports wagering rollout in Missouri could potentially lead lawmakers to address iGaming at some point in the future.
And if the state’s sports betting launch proves successful, more and more states start legalizing online casinos, and public opinion shifts more in favor of iGaming expansion, Missourians could eventually see another ballot initiative.
