We are drawing closer to the Missouri sports betting mandatory launch date of Dec. 1 set forth by Amendment 2, and bettors now have a better idea of which sportsbooks will be available.

Nine sportsbook operators submitted applications to the Missouri Gaming Commission by the September 12 deadline, which means they can start taking wagers on Dec. 1 if they’re approved for a license. To be clear, this deadline was for operators who want to take wagers on Day 1. The following sportsbooks applied to launch at 12:01 am on Dec. 1.

• Bet365
• BetMGM
• Caesars Sportsbook
• Circa Sports
• DraftKings
• Fanatics Betting & Gaming
• FanDuel
• Penn Entertainment (ESPN BET)
• Underdog

DraftKings Missouri has gotten a jump on the competition and is now allowing new users to download the app and demo it for when Missouri sports betting goes live at 12:01 on Dec. 1.

DraftKings’ offer comes roughly two months before pre-registration is slated to begin.

Here’s what happens next: The commission posted on its website that it expects to issue temporary sports betting licenses by October 22.

Once an operator is granted a temporary license, it will need to submit its house rules and controls to regulators. The next step after that would be allowing pre-registration, which can begin on Nov. 17 at 12 am CST, per the Missouri Gaming Commission’s website.

Bettors will be able to create an account and demo the betting apps at that time, but they won’t receive any pre-registration bonus bets tied to early sign ups until Missouri sports betting launches on Dec. 1.

Missouri sports betting at a glance

Missouri sports betting launch news and updates

• September 30: Underdog gains market access through a partnership with the Kansas City Royals.
• September 18: Eight Missouri casinos have applied to open retail sportsbooks: Ameristar St. Louis (Fanatics), Ameristar Kansas City (Fanatics), Argosy KC (ESPN BET), Century Cape Girardeau (BetMGM), Harrah’s KC (Caesars), Hollywood STL (ESPN BET), Horseshoe STL (Caesars), River City STL (ESPN BET)
• September 12: Bet365, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, Circa Sports, DraftKings, Fanatics Betting & Gaming, FanDuel, Penn Entertainment (ESPN Bet), and Underdog were confirmed as applicants.
• September 5: The Missouri Gaming Commission announces that pre-registration can begin on Nov. 17 for operators who are granted a temporary sports betting license.
• August 15: The Missouri Gaming Commission awards Circa Sports and DraftKings the two “untethered” licenses. FanDuel announces market access through a partnership with St. Louis CITY SC of the MLS.
• July 17, 2025: The Missouri Gaming Commission holds a public hearing to gather feedback, but no one showed up. This is notable because the Missouri sports betting launch date was pushed back due to concerns the public wasn’t being given enough time to comment.
• July 16, 2025: Circa Sports submits a post-dated application for a “untethered” license (the deadline was July 15).
• July 11, 2025: FanDuel officially applies for one of the two “untethered” licenses ahead of the July 15 deadline.
• June 11, 2025: DraftKings and Underdog become the first two sports betting operators to apply for licenses, according to the Missouri Gaming Commission.
• May 27, 2025: BetMGM announces it will launch in Missouri through a partnership with Century Casinos.
• May 15, 2025: The Missouri Gaming Commission announces Missouri sports betting will launch on Dec. 1. The MGC made this revelation the same day the license application window opened.
• May 14, 2025: The Missouri Gaming Commission announces the “untethered” sports betting licenses (unaffiliated with land-based casinos) will be awarded on August 15. Applicants have until July 15 to apply.
• March 24, 2025: Bet365 announces a partnership with the St. Louis Cardinals, giving it market access for the December 1 launch of Missouri sports betting.

Missouri sportsbooks expected to be available on Dec. 1

DraftKings and Circa Sports have been awarded the two “untethered” licenses, meaning they don’t have to partner with a casino or sports team.

Circa pulled off a stunning upset when it secured the “untethered” license over FanDuel, which has gained market access via a partnership with St. Louis CITY SC of the MLS.

Meanwhile, BetMGM applied and will launch through a partnership with Boyd Gaming, which runs a land-based casino in the state. Bally operates another of the state’s 13 casinos, so Bally Bet could be a viable option.

Bet365 has already secured market access through a partnership with the St. Louis Cardinals, while PENN Entertainment (ESPN BET) applied right before the Sept. 12 deadline. PENN Entertainment operates two Missouri casinos.

Underdog has also applied for a license, as did Fanatics (the most recent operator to apply). Caesars Sportsbook will also offer sports betting in Missouri. Caesars operates three land-based casinos in the state.

RELATED: New to sports betting? Read our expert guide to point spread betting

Missouri sports teams with access to licenses

Amendment 2 had the full support of every pro sports team in the state, including the Kansas City Chiefs. Missouri’s professional teams will each get one “skin” - or sportsbook platform - to offer mobile and retail sports betting.

What this means is fans will be able to bet at retail sportsbooks at each team’s stadium or in the immediate vicinity. It’s likely the sportsbooks will only be open while the given sport is in-season.

Here are the teams that are eligible to apply for a sports betting license (established partnerships included here):

• Kansas City Chiefs (BetMGM)
• Kansas City Royals
• St. Louis Cardinals (bet365)
• St. Louis Blues
• Kansas City Current (NWSL)
• St. Louis CITY SC (MLS, FanDuel)

Initial Missouri sports betting launch delayed

Missouri lawmakers were hoping to launch sports betting this June, but that timeline got moved back once Secretary of State Denny Hoskins (the main opposition to sports betting in the state for years) rejected proposed emergency rules.

Amendment 2 narrowly passed at the ballot box on Election Day. The amendment passed by 2,961 votes (50.1% of residents voted “Yes” to amend the state constitution).

Sportsbooks will be taxed at 10%. The revenue gained from Missouri sports betting will go toward funding the state’s compulsive gambling fund and toward K-12 and secondary education funds.

The amendment reached the ballot last spring, when Winning for Missouri Education gathered enough signatures. The group set a record for the most money donated to a ballot measure campaign ($41 million).

The majority of that money came from DraftKings and FanDuel. According to the Independent, the two sports betting giants helped break a 2006 record set by a ballot measure to protect stem cell research that generated more than $31 million in donations.

All six professional sports teams are able to offer mobile and retail sports betting, which can take place in stadiums. That includes the three-time reigning AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs, who play on the Missouri side of the city and have a partnership with BetMGM.

Missouri sports betting legalized - finally

Sports betting is legal in 38 states, along with Washington, D.C. Yet residents of the “Show Me State” had not been offered regulated sports betting until now, despite neighboring Kansas’s sports betting legalization putting pressure on Missouri legislators in 2022.

Sports betting is also legal in the bordering states of Illinois, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Iowa and Nebraska. The major hold up in passing a Missouri sports betting bill was then-Senator Denny Hoskins’ insistence that any bill include language to legalize the ‘grey’ market Video Lottery Terminals (think video poker at gas stations).

Amendment 2 landed on the ballot thanks to an initiative called “Winning for Missouri Education.” The ballot measure was backed by every professional sports team in the state. It does not include language aimed at legalizing VLTs.

Missouri sportsbooks will be allowed to start taking bets from residents 21+ on December 1, 2025. There is a 10% tax rate; the first $5 million will be used to prevent compulsive gambling and the rest will go to support K-12 schools and higher education.

The passage of Amendment 2 was a breath of fresh air for some. Lawmakers had failed to pass Missouri sports betting legislation for the past six years (since Jan. 2018), predating even the fall of the Professional Amateur and Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in May of 2018.

Amendment 2 survived a legal challenge and also faced opposition from the Kansas City teachers’ union.

A simple majority of voters responded ‘yes’ on the ballot, which means Missouri sports betting will launch on Dec. 1.

All major operators supported the legalization of Missouri sports betting except Caesars, which operates several land-based casinos in the state. Caesars opposes the limitation of one “skin” - or mobile license - per operator. Previous Missouri sports betting legislation allowed for three skins for land-based casino operators, and a maximum of six per operator.

There could be as many as 14 mobile operators taking bets in the Show Me State, far fewer than the 39 possible under House Bill 2231.

The state estimates that Missouri sports betting could generate up to $28.9 million in tax revenue annually. The numbers are disputed by both sides due to the possibility of promotional tax credit write-offs.

Is sports betting legal in Missouri?

Sports betting is currently legal in Missouri after voters passed Amendment 2 in November, but wagering will not begin until Dec. 1.

A simple majority ‘yes’ vote on Amendment 2 has paved the way for legal sports betting to launch in Missouri. College sports betting is allowed. The amendment, which was sponsored by an initiative called “Winning for Missouri Education,” reached the ballot by gathering more than 340,000 signatures.

Missouri sports betting operators will be taxed at a 10% rate. The tax funds are slated to go to the state’s Compulsive Gambling Prevention Fund ($5 million) and the rest is pegged to fund “institutions of elementary, secondary, and higher education” in the state.

The ballot measure’s passage marks the culmination of a drawn-out, six-year push to legalize Missouri sports betting. The first bill was submitted in January 2018, four months before the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).

Amendment 2 didn’t mention Video Lottery Terminals, which have long been a sticking point for Senator Denny Hoskins when it comes to passing any legislation. The amendment allows for one “skin” (mobile license) per operator.

That means there could be up to 19 retail sportsbooks taking wagers in Missouri and up to 14 online sports betting licenses (some may remain vacant). That number is far fewer than the 39 possible operators allowed for by House Bill 2231, one of the previously failed legislation efforts.

Missouri sports betting amendment explained

Missouri sports betting’s fate rested with the state’s residents, who voted in support of Amendment 2 on November 5 as part of the general election process.

Voters were asked a simple yes/no question: ‘Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to’:

• Allow the Missouri Gaming Commission to regulate licensed sports wagering, including online sports betting, gambling boats, professional sports betting districts and mobile licenses to sports betting operators
• Restrict sports betting to individuals physically located in the state and over the age of 21;
• Allow license fees prescribed by the Commission and a 10% wagering tax on revenues received to be appropriated for education after expenses incurred by the Commission and required funding of the Compulsive Gambling Prevention Fund; and
• Allow for the general assembly to enact laws consistent with this amendment?’

Operators will be required to pay a $250,000 fee for a retail sportsbook license and $500,000 mobile licensing fee. Both licenses renew every five years.

One of the sticking points was whether or not the amendment would actually ‘raise teacher pay’ as it claims. The Kansas City teachers’ union is skeptical of this.

“One thing you can’t do is make promises in salaries, and this money is supposed to go raise teacher salaries, and you can’t commit to how much money is going to go to salaries,” AFT 691 President Jason Roberts told KCTV5 in Kansas City.

The reason Amendment 2 was needed is that Missouri lawmakers have failed to pass sports betting legislation every year since 2018.

The hold up also centered around legalizing Video Lottery Terminals (located at gas stations, truck stops and convenience stores). Senator Denny Hoskins successfully blocked each bill in support of the VLT movement. Amendment 2 does not address the legality of VLTs.

Missouri sports betting revenue projections

The interesting part of this measure, and one that caused a huge debate, is the revenue generation estimates. The government estimates tax revenue between $0-28.9 million annually.

If that seems strange, it is. Here’s how the ballot explains it:

What that means is sportsbooks like BetMGM, DraftKings and FanDuel are able to write off losses taken on promotional spending, i.e., the “Bet $5, Get $200 in bonus bets” offers that are aimed at generating new customers.

These numbers were highlighted by those who opposed the legalization of Missouri sports betting. Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Agreement said the revenue is not what it seems due to the fact that operators can deduct up to 25% of the gross costs of promotional credits and free play.

The end result, according to those who opposed the measure, would be far less revenue than expected for Missouri’s K-12 schools and higher education institutions.

Supporters of the amendment argued that it’s not telling the entire story.

“That is exactly why that 25% language is in there, Jonathan, and you’re perfect to look into this issue,” Winning for Missouri Education Spokesperson Jack Cardetti told Fox 4 in Kansas City.

“You’ll remember when Kansas passed sports betting, it did not generate that much revenue the first year because they didn’t cap those deductions.”

DraftKings and FanDuel donated millions to the pro-Amendment 2 cause, while state casinos countered by spending millions to counter support for the measure.

Caesars was the lone sportsbook that opposed the measure. Caesars favored the previous Missouri sports betting legislation that offered three “skins” per casino, rather than a single sports betting platform that Amendment 2 allows for.

Under previous bills, Caesars would be allowed nine sports betting licenses to either use or lease to other operators.

Missouri sports betting FAQs

Is sports betting legal in Missouri?

Yes, sports betting is legal in Missouri, but residents will not be able to wager until Dec. 1, 2025.

How old do you have to be to bet on sports in Missouri?

Residents of Missouri must be 21+ to bet on sports when the state launches legal sports betting on Dec. 1, 2025.

Which sportsbooks will be available in Missouri?

BetMGM and bet365 have already secured market access and will likely start taking bets on Dec. 1, 2025. DraftKings and Circa have been awarded licenses, while FanDuel, Underdog, Fanatics, Caesars and ESPN BET have applied. Caesars operates land-based casinos in the state, as does PENN Entertainment (ESPN BET). Bally Bet could also launch in the state due to its land-based casino presence.

Can I bet on college sports in Missouri?

Yes, college sports betting will be allowed in Missouri, without restrictions on prop betting or in-state teams.