Missouri Sports Betting Bidding Begins, Two Licenses Reserved for Fully Remote Books
The Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) has formally commenced its application phase for online and retail sports betting licenses about six months after state citizens closely approved the new gambling format.
In the November 2024 election, voters in Missouri approved Amendment 2 to permit betting on professional and college sports by a margin of less than 3,000 votes. The result revised the Missouri Constitution to allow in-person and online sports wagering within the state for individuals aged 21 and above.
Today, the MGC launched its application period for sports betting licenses. Sportsbooks looking to acquire one of the two completely online sportsbook licenses must submit their proposals by July 15, 2025. The state gaming authority will review the proposals and listen to the prospective operators at a meeting set for August 13, with the licenses being granted two days later on August 15.
For all remaining retail and mobile sportsbook licenses, applications must be submitted by September 12, and qualified applicants will start receiving permits on December 1.
Commencement Date Uncertain
Although the MGC outlined the procedure for the sports betting application, it did not indicate when legal wagering would commence.
Amendment 2 permits all 13 casinos in the state to seek retail and online sports betting rights for a maximum of two skins, or operations. Licenses for physical sportsbooks are priced at $250,000, while mobile licenses are set at $500,000.
Missouri plans to impose a 10% tax on the gross revenue of oddsmakers, allocating the funds towards K-12 public education. The initial $5 million annually from sports betting taxes is allocated to the Missouri Compulsive Gambling Prevention Fund.
Caesars Entertainment, which operates three casinos in Missouri — Harrah’s North Kansas City, Horseshoe St. Louis, and Isle of Capri Boonville — invested nearly $14 million against Amendment 2, believing that the state should not permit two completely remote sportsbooks to function without a physical presence in the Show-Me State. Caesars plans to compete for one of the two completely remote licenses using its Caesars Sportsbook to reduce the number of mobile sportsbook rivals.
In addition to Caesars, the casino operators permitted to seek online and retail sportsbook licenses include Affinity Interactive, Bally’s Corp., Boyd Gaming, Century Casinos, and Penn Entertainment.
In 2024, the revenue from Missouri casinos reached $1.88 billion, reflecting a 2% decline compared to the previous year. State authorities project that sports bettors in Missouri will place over $3 billion in wagers each year, producing more than $250 million in yearly revenue for bookmakers.
39th State for Sports Wagering
Once legal sports betting is launched, Missouri will be the 39th state to regulate sports gambling. Missouri shares its borders with eight states — Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska — all of which permit legal sports betting.
This week, the American Gaming Association (AGA) announced that sports bettors have lost nearly $13.8 billion to sportsbooks in 2024. Online sportsbooks are governed in 33 states, while six states permit only in-person wagering — Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington.
Washington, DC, home to both retail and online sports betting, ranks as the 40th jurisdiction for sports betting in the country.
