Three sportsbooks will state their case for two untethered Missouri sports betting licenses to regulators on Wednesday.
The agenda for the Missouri Gaming Commission meeting at 9 am local time Wednesday is lengthy, with 76 rules to finalize so Missouri sportsbooks can launch on Dec. 1. Following those approvals, Circa, DraftKings and FanDuel will present why they deserve one of the two untethered licenses.
Winners will be announced at Friday‘s meeting.
Meanwhile, Fanatics Sportsbook has applied for online and retail sports betting licenses, becoming the fifth operator to do so under the state’s new regulatory framework.
Fanatics the fifth applicant so far
Following narrow voter approval of a sports betting amendment in November 2024, Missouri’s licensing application period opened on May 15 of this year.
DraftKings and Underdog Sports were the first to apply on June 11. FanDuel then joined in on July 9, with Circa Sports submitting the state’s fourth application on July 15.
Fanatics is the latest to join the ranks in seeking approval to operate in the state, submitting an official application on Aug. 5.
Missouri sports betting partnerships so far
As for the remaining operators looking to secure a tethered license, each applicant must first find a Missouri casino or pro sports team to partner with.
Since Fanatics is not pursuing an untethered license, it will need to secure official access through such means. Underdog and any other operators hoping to launch a Missouri sportsbook will need to do the same.
Two operators who have yet to submit license applications have already locked in deals. BetMGM has announced a partnership with Century Casinos, and bet365 has revealed a partnership with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Upcoming Missouri sports betting timeline
Missouri’s plan to launch on Dec. 1 gives the state a relatively comfortable amount of regulatory and operational breathing room before game day.
Here are key dates for the launch:
- Aug. 13: Presentations for untethered licenses
- Aug. 15: Missouri Gaming Commission to award two untethered licenses
- Sept. 12: Final deadline for retail and mobile license submissions
- Nov. 30: Official sports betting rules go into effect
- Dec. 1: Missouri sports betting goes live
