Missouri Online Casinos

There are no real money online casinos in Missouri at present. However, Missourians can legally play online at a number of social and sweepstakes casinos.

For in-person play, Missouri is home to 13 casinos. All of them are riverboat casinos located on various waterways in the state. Primarily, they are scattered along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, although the law allows for casinos on moats or other artificial bodies of water.

Below is everything you need to know about Missouri online casinos and their chances of making a debut plus further information about the state’s thriving gambling industry. Nothing is set to happen immediately, but real money online casinos could become part of the future in Missouri.

Is it legal to play online casino games in Missouri?

No. Online casinos are not legal in Missouri at this time. If you see any sites that say something to the contrary, they are mistaken at best. The online casinos you may be able to find are likely based outside the United States and bear a host of problems that go beyond the question of legality. We do not recommend playing on these sites, and we’ll explain why in greater detail below.

When will Missouri allow online casinos?

We don’t really know. For every legislative session in recent years, both chambers of the Missouri General Assembly have considered multiple bills related to gambling expansion. However, none of this legislation has pertained to online casino play. Most of these bills have primarily focused on potentially legalizing sports betting, the operations of riverboat casinos and/or video lottery terminals.

It’s hard to imagine lawmakers turning to online casinos before they resolve the sports betting issue, and the other concerns might have to come first as well. Therefore, while legal MO online casinos could be possible, it is unlikely they will be part of Missouri’s future in the next year or two.

Potential Missouri online casinos

While it is true that the state is not particularly close to allowing online casinos, we do have some predictions about the best Missouri online casinos to expect if that eventually happens. Several gambling companies either have direct ties to Missouri already through their casino locations or have a history of finding a way to be a part of online casino markets that have launched in other states. While the list below is speculative, we’re fairly confident many of the following companies are keeping apprised of developments in Missouri.

Types of online casinos

As we mentioned above, you can already find listings for online casino sites that welcome Missouri players. At first glance they might seem legal, and it’s difficult to detect how they could be illegitimate. However, that is exactly what they are, invalid casino sites that are neither regulated nor overseen by any governmental entity in Missouri or the US as a whole. Let’s go over the different online casino options you may encounter:

Regulated, licensed and legal

The first type of online casino is the type that is definitely not present in Missouri. There is no provision in Missouri law to allow and manage online casinos. If there were such a law (or one comes to pass in the future), these sites would be able to operate in Missouri with the same freedom and legitimacy as any other type of business. They would simply be online counterparts of the riverboat casinos already in service in the Missouri, and like those entities would be licensed and regulated.

Gray market

Although Missouri law categorizes any gambling not specifically authorized by law as unlawful, sites claim that since there is no specific mention of online casinos among the prohibitions, they can legally operate in the state. However, these sites are risky to use, and we do not recommend you visit them. For one thing, you are opening yourself to the potential of dealing with scams, identity theft and loss of money. These sites have no reason to comply with any legal or ethical standards of the US or Missouri.

Social and sweepstakes casinos

Social and sweepstakes casinos can be a fine substitute for true online casinos in Missouri. These sites offer much of the same gameplay that you’d find on a legitimate site, but without the financial risk that comes with it. Many social and sweepstakes sites, like Chumba Casino, offer players the chance to redeem in-game currency for cash prizes, with the ability to play for free if you wish. Until state lawmakers decide to allow Missouri real money casinos online, these types of sites are your best online option for slots and table games.

Land-based casinos in Missouri

Missouri is home to 13 land-based casinos. However, the term “land-based” is a bit of a misnomer as all 13 locations are technically riverboats. Many are seaworthy vessels on actual Missouri waterways, but there are a number as well that are simply floating rafts in man-made water pits.

Whether you consider these riverboat casinos to be actual riverboats or not, the fact remains Missourians have plenty of legal options to gamble. In particular, those in Kansas City and St. Louis have multiple locations at their disposal. If you want to play a slot machine, a table game or some hands of poker, here are the places to go:

• Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City, 3200 North Ameristar Drive, Kansas City, MO 64161
• Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St. Charles, 1 Ameristar Blvd., St. Charles, MO 63301
• Argosy Casino Hotel & Spa, 777 NW Argosy Casino Parkway, Riverside, MO 64150
• Bally’s Kansas City, 1800 E. Front St., Kansas City, MO 64120
• Century Casino Cape Girardeau, 777 Main St., Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
• Century Casino Caruthersville, 777 E. Third St., Caruthersville, MO 63830
• Harrah’s Kansas City, 1 Riverboat Drive, North Kansas City, MO 64116
• Hollywood Casino & Hotel St. Louis, 777 Casino Center Drive, Maryland Heights, MO 63043
• Horseshoe St. Louis Casino, 999 N. Second St., St. Louis, MO 63102
• Isle of Capri Casino Hotel Boonville, 100 Isle of Capri Blvd., Boonville, MO 65233
• Mark Twain Casino, 104 Pierce St., La Grange, MO 63448
• River City Casino Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63125
• St. Jo Frontier Casino, 777 Winners Circle, St Joseph, MO 64505

Though many of these locations have had different names through the years, this group has remained roughly constant in number for some time. There has been a recent push to authorize riverboat gambling on the Osage River and provide an additional casino license for a company to open a boat on that waterway. That effort has yet to get much traction, however, although legislation to add the new license was recently considered by the Missouri General Assembly.

Types of casino games in Missouri

As there are numerous ways to gamble in Missouri, there are also numerous types of games. If you have never visited one of the casinos in Missouri, here are some of the options that you’ll find when you step “aboard” one of the riverboat vessels.

Slots

There are few casino games more ubiquitous than the slot machine. In fact, it’s not unusual for a casino to host only slot titles, although all of Missouri’s 13 casinos have more games than just slots. Even so, you’ll find the highlighted game at every Missouri casino with each property featuring hundreds of slot machines. Even the smallest facility has more than 400 available, and some of the biggest have nearly 2,000 machines.

Slot machines offer a variety of styles. The classic three-reel games exist, but five-reel machines are becoming increasingly common. The idea of a mechanically spinning wheel is all but extinct, as the vast majority of machines use a computer display for their gameplay. Some slots even have added sensory components, like enhanced sound effects, speakers and 3D graphics. The modern slot machine usually has at least one bonus feature, and many of them are linked with other machines to produce a progressive jackpot for a lucky player to win.

Blackjack

Blackjack is the most common table game in Missouri. Even the smallest casinos, like St. Jo’s Frontier and Century Casino Cape Girardeau, have multiple blackjack tables. The game’s relative simplicity and pace of play make it a favorite for a variety of players.

It is also common to find blackjack variants. For the most part, these variants change the game by offering a bonus wager or side bet that players can choose to use or not. In many cases, you can play blackjack in the traditional manner at one of these tables, but some of the more popular blackjack games feature different twists and variations. Common blackjack variants you can play at Missouri casinos include Double Deck, 21+3, and Trilux blackjack. You may also see blackjack variants that only use two decks and/or pay out 6-to-5 on blackjacks, instead of the traditional 3-to-2.

Other table games

A financial report from the Missouri Gaming Commission reveals a tremendous diversity in terms of the games you can find at Missouri casinos. The games below are ones that have contributed to revenue in recent history:

• 21 + 3
• 5 Treasures Baccarat
• Cajun Stud Poker
• Craps
• Craps No More
• Crazy 4 Poker
• Criss Cross Poker
• DJ Wild Poker
• EZ Baccarat
• Fortune 7
• Golden Frog Baccarat
• Heads Up Hold’em
• High Card Flush
• I LUV SUITS
• Let It Ride
• Midi Baccarat
• Mini-baccarat
• Mississippi Stud
• No Craps, Craps
• Pai Gow Poker
• Roulette
• Six Card Poker
• Texas Shootout
• Three Card Poker/Stud
• Three Card Progressive
• Top Three
• Ultimate Texas Hold’em
• World Poker Tour

This list is not meant to be exhaustive. In fact, new games frequently appear to expand this list even further. The availability of several of these games is largely dealer-dependent, so make sure that the relevant person is available and ready to deal one of these games. For that matter, these games are also casino-dependent, and every casino has a different approach to how it populates its floor.

Poker

Poker is available as a live game in Missouri. Most casinos maintain a private area where poker players can cocoon themselves and retreat from the rest of the patrons. It is also quite common for poker rooms to ban cigarette and cigar smoking at the table. Despite these restrictions, poker rooms remain popular among a sizable segment of Missouri gamblers. You can find poker rooms at the following locations:

• Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St. Charles
• Century Casino Cape Girardeau
• Harrah’s Kansas City
• Hollywood Casino & Hotel St. Louis
• Lumière Place Casino & Hotel

As poker rooms can be transient features for many casinos, it’s a good idea to call ahead and make sure that the tables are open and available. Missouri poker rooms and others were especially hard hit during the pandemic, and some of them are still only open on a limited basis.

Keno

The last type of casino game you can play in Missouri is not one you’ll find in a casino. Keno, a product of the Missouri Lottery, is available at many retailers and restaurants throughout the state. The Missouri version of the game promotes prizes as high as $1 million, and you can win in between bites of a steak or burger. Keno is similar to most lottery games in that players attempt to match numbers to a random drawing. However, keno drawings are usually more frequent and occur throughout the day. In Missouri, there’s a chance to win every four minutes.

More resources

For more information about the prospect of online casinos for real money in Missouri, or about the existing casinos in Missouri, try one of the links below.

• Missouri General Assembly
• Missouri Gaming Commission
• St. Louis Post-Dispatch
• Kansas City Star