Missouri

Few states remain without any semblance of a sports betting bill, but after the election on November 5th, Missouri will no longer be one of those states. By narrowly passing Amendment 2, the state's professional sports teams and casinos can offer legal sports betting sometime before December 1, 2025.

By receiving just 51.2% of the votes, Amendment 2 was narrowly passed by Missouri voters on November 5, 2024. For years, the state has been trying to legalize sports betting off the ground, with pro sports teams and gambling companies raising over $40 million for the cause. Amendment 2 will take effect days after November 5th, requiring legal sports betting to be launched sometime before December 1, 2025. Until then, Missouri bettors do have an alternative option, and that is daily fantasy sports apps. In 2016, the state passed the Missouri Fantasy Consumer Protection Act, which allowed DFS products to obtain operating licenses.

Since then, the state has welcomed eight DFS operators, including Underdog, OwnersBox, DraftKings, FanDuel, and more. Social sportsbooks are also authorized to operate, which means residents of the Show Me State also have access to the Fliff Sportsbook. This remains the extent of gambling in MO since betting on horse races is illegal.

Online sports betting in The Show-Me State

The motivation and support for a sports betting bill to be passed in Missouri have been sky-high for years, and that perseverance finally broke through in 2024 when Missouri bettors voted to pass Amendment 2. Bills regarding sports betting have made their presence known in legislative sessions since 2018, but it took until 2024 to finally get one over the finish line.

On paper, the state is fully prepared to launch online and retail sports betting immediately. With 13 casinos spread across MO that have fully supported the legalization and the professional sports teams in the state that were also in support, Missouri could welcome plenty of big-name online operators looking to partner with one of those casinos or teams.

Up until 2024, the volume of bills coming in or a lack of support wasn't the problem; the issue remained the literature inside the bills.

The earning potential has always been there for all sides involved with legalized sports betting, but the 2023 legislative sessions in the state were an excellent example of why a deal had to be made. Senator Denny Hoskins blocked any sports betting bill that made progress during the session, even though he supports legalized sports betting.

Hoskins believes that video lottery terminals are a form of gambling, so they should be taxed and included in any sports betting bill. Lawmakers handled that issue by not including VLTs on Amendment 2, as the constitutional amendment is strictly for sports betting.

Sports betting & gambling legislation in MO

Residents can still enjoy daily fantasy sports apps and social sportsbooks while they wait for the state to officially launch sports betting. Outside of those options, though, the gambling scene in Missouri is dryer than the desert, as online casinos, online poker, and even the lottery are outlawed.

As mentioned previously, Amendment 2 did not mention any other gambling-related topics, as lawmakers were strict about the amendment being only about sports betting.

Under this newly passed amendment, all professional sports teams and state casinos will be eligible for a sports betting license and can partner with two online betting platforms. Sports betting under Amendment 2 will be taxed at 10%, with revenue first allocated to the state gaming commission to pay for expenses. Another $5 million will go to a fund created to help prevent compulsive gambling. The rest of the money the state makes through sports betting taxes will go to state education, which was one of the most significant driving forces in advertising for this amendment before the election.

Most recent updates from the MO sports betting & gambling scene

• January 20, 2025: For the sixth straight season, the Kansas City Chiefs are set to play in the AFC Title game. KC has opened as (-1.5) point favorites over the Buffalo Bills.

• January 13, 2025: After getting a bye during the Wild Card round, the Kansas City Chiefs will host the Houston Texans in the Divisional round of the playoffs as (-7.5) point favorites.

• January 9, 2025: As conference play heats up, the Missouri Tigers are currently (+100) to make the NCAA Tournament on FanDuel.

• December 30, 2024: The Kansas City Chiefs will start Carson Wentz in week 18 against the Broncos. Kansas City is listed as (+10) point underdogs in Denver.

• December 20, 2024: Patrick Mahomes is expected to play this weekend against the Texans, in a game where the Chiefs are favored by (-3.5).

• December 13, 2024: The Missouri Tigers will play Iowa in the Music City Bowl. The Tigers are currently (-3) point favorites.

• December 3, 2024: In a big divisional game, the Kansas City Chiefs will host the LA Chargers as (-4) point favorites.

• November 18, 2024: Legendz Social Sportsbook & Casino is live in 43 US states, including Missouri. With high RTP claims and free play, it offers props, parlays, and real prize redemptions for players 18+.

In-person sports betting sites and locations

Casinos are present throughout Missouri, with 13 currently operating across the state. Many of these casinos have played a significant role in the creation of sports betting bills for MO since the legalization of sports betting would only improve their business. Now that Amendment 2 is passed, these casinos will all get sports betting licenses and the ability to partner with two online operators.

While Missouri legalized horse racing in the 1980s, it is only legal if it is conducted at a race track, so the fact that MO does not have any racetrack defeats the purpose of its legalization.

Sports betting in neighboring states

Missouri shares borders with eight states, to be exact, and only one of them doesn’t offer legalized sports betting. Oklahoma is the lone state without a sports betting bill, so at the very least, residents of legal gambling age in MO can venture into seven neighboring states and find some form of sports betting.

To get the complete picture of what each state has to offer, you can click on the name below to learn more.

What’s next for MO betting apps?

There has been continuous momentum toward legalizing sports betting in MO since 2019. That momentum continued into 2024 when Amendment 2 was passed, therefore signaling the legalization of sports betting. The support of online operators, casinos, and in-state professional sports teams has existed for a while, as the major campaign for this amendment, titled "Winning for Missouri," was funded by these aforementioned parties and raised over $40 million in support of the bill.

Now that the amendment has been passed, the state will start working towards an official launch day. In the meantime, online operators can start negotiating with state casinos and sports teams to form a partnership that would bring their app to the state.

Potential sports betting revenue impact on Missouri’s economy

Now that an amendment has been passed and we know both online and retail sports betting will be available to bettors, it is easier to start predicting the economic impact legal sports betting will have. According to a fiscal note from the amendment, the state estimates legal sports betting will bring anywhere between zero and $28.9 million in revenue to the state. However, the amendment's supporters have argued that those metrics are low and that those figures will be higher once sports betting gets off the ground.

All states are different, so there is no way to draw a direct comparison with another surrounding state. Still, for reference, just in 2024 alone, Tennessee made over $90 million, Kentucky over $36 million, and Kansas more than $12 million in tax income. Numbers wise, TN was the busiest state in this field, with more than $5 billion real-money wagers placed in 2024.

However, when comparing states similar to Missouri in terms of population, it is no surprise many different parties remain motivated to get the job done. Indiana and Maryland have the closest population to MO, and both states saw more than $5 billion in betting handle and over $500 million in sportsbooks' revenue in 2024, which in turn totaled annual tax income of over $80 million in Maryland and over $45 million in Indiana.