Missouri Sports Betting: 2024 Legislation Updates
Missouri sports betting is not legal. However, voters will have their say at the polls in November after a successful campaign put the issue on the ballot.
Despite the failures of Missouri sports betting bills in each of the last few years, legislators, citizens, sports teams, and other prominent stakeholders are interested in legalizing online sports betting in the state.
Follow along below for the latest information on efforts to legalize Missouri sports betting.
As seen in
DFS pick’em and social sportsbooks in Missouri in 2024
Is sports betting legal in Missouri?
No. There are no legal sportsbooks in Missouri at this time. The nearest places to bet are in Kansas, Kentucky, Iowa, Illinois, Tennessee, and Arkansas.
Legal sportsbooks are located a short drive from downtown St. Louis and Kansas City in East St. Louis, Illinois, and Kansas City, Kansas, respectively.
DFS pick’em and social sportsbooks are legal in Missouri and offering contests now.
What’s happening in Missouri sports betting right now
- Sept. 25, 2024 — During a recent debate, gubernatorial candidates Republican Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and Democrat Rep. Crystal Quade said they support legal Missouri sports betting
- Sept. 24, 2024 — A new study released by Winning for Missouri Education and Eilers & Krejcik estimated that Missouri sportsbooks could generate $560 million annually
- Sept. 24, 2024 — DraftKings and FanDuel both made $5 million contributions to the Winning for Missouri Education sports betting ballot campaign.
- Sept. 19, 2024 — A new poll found 52% of voters in Missouri support legalizing sports betting.
- Sept. 16, 2024 — Three Caesars-owned Missouri casinos contributed more than $4 million to the Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment, the initiative opposing the sports betting ballot question.
- Sept. 13, 2024 — Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment, a campaign against the legalization of sports betting in Missouri, filed paperwork to begin pushing back on the sports betting ballot question in November.
- Sept. 6, 2024 — Missouri sports betting will remain on the ballot in November after a judge ruled in favor of Secretary of State John Ashcroft.
Status of Missouri sports betting
Efforts to legalize sports betting in Missouri failed again in the 2024 legislative session. However, plenty of stakeholders in the state, including pro sports organizations, casinos, and politicians, want legal betting, and a successful ballot campaign could let voters decide the fate of sports betting at the polls in November.
Winning for Missouri Education submitted 340,000 signatures to the secretary of state’s office, which has since counted and approved at least the 170,000 valid signatures necessary to qualify for the ballot. The campaign was challenged by a lawsuit alleging the signature-certifying process was done unconstitutionally, but a judge ruled in favor of Secretary of State John Ashcroft.
There is some external pressure to legalize sports betting as seven of the eight states bordering Missouri (Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Nebraska) have legal betting in some form. The only neighboring state that does not allow sports betting is Oklahoma.
The 2024 legislative session started with two new sports betting bills: SB 852 and SB 824.
SB 852 would have legalized online sports betting statewide and in-person sports betting on gambling boats with a 12% tax rate. SB 824 was similar to SB 852 but would include a 10% tax rate and video lottery terminals. Multiple sports betting bills have failed to pass in the last three years as they did not tie VLTs into the bills and were subsequently filibustered by Missouri Sen. Denny Hoskins.
Rep. Dan Houx’s HB 2331 was another bill proposed during the 2024 session. The bill would have allowed Missouri’s 13 casinos and six pro sports teams to partner with online and in-person sportsbooks and create a 10% tax on revenue.
While the future of legal sports betting in Missouri is a question mark, DFS pick’em and social sportsbooks continue to operate legally in the state. The state has ordered DFS companies to stop offering house-versus-player contests, but peer-to-peer contests remain available.
When will online sports betting launch in Missouri?
Possibly in 2025. Sports betting will appear on the ballot in November 2024, so 2025 would be the earliest time for a launch if voters decide to legalize the activity.
Sports betting sites that could launch in Missouri
Here are some of the online sportsbooks that we see as most likely to appear and offer the top sports betting promos if the state decides to legalize online sports betting in the future:
- Fanatics Sportsbook — Fanatics Sportsbook is quickly expanding nationwide as one of the newer sportsbooks on the market. This app, owned by the Fanatics retail empire, has been among the first sportsbooks to launch in several newly legal states. Missouri likely would not be any different.
- Bet365 — Bet365 is another top sportsbook expanding in the US rather than retracting. Missouri would be an attractive destination for this Europe-based company.
- FanDuel Sportsbook — FanDuel is already active in the state as a daily fantasy sports provider and has a market access deal with Boyd Gaming, which owns two casinos in Missouri. FanDuel is often quick to appear in new legal sports betting locales.
- DraftKings Sportsbook — DraftKings is a fixture in Missouri due to its DFS options. It also operates the closest land-based sportsbook to Missouri — DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Illinois. The company is quite proactive about new launches and will almost certainly find a way to the table in Missouri.
- Caesars Sportsbook — In addition to online sports betting, Caesars has numerous physical casinos around the world. In fact, three casinos in Missouri are Caesars properties, providing a clear path for the sportsbook to enter the market in the Show-Me State.
- BetMGM Sportsbook — BetMGM is one of the top sportsbook apps in the United States. MGM has partnership deals with both MLB and the NFL, meaning that it will likely have options to access Missouri’s sports betting market if it goes live.
- BetRivers Sportsbook — BetRivers is the online arm of regional casino giant Rush Street Gaming. The company is based in nearby Illinois and will likely find a way to be part of any potential expansion one state over from its home base.
- ESPN Bet — ESPN Bet operates Penn National Gaming’s online sports betting interests. Penn National owns three properties in the state, meaning ESPN could be part of legal sports betting in Missouri.
- Bally Bet — Bally Bet is a newer sportsbook that offers service from one of the best-known brand names in all of gambling. Bally’s recently purchased Casino KC and rebranded it as Bally’s Kansas City. Undoubtedly, a Bally Bet app launch is part of the company’s long-term plans in Missouri.
Latest Missouri sports betting news
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Legal sports betting options in Missouri
There are currently no legal sports betting options in Missouri. The state legalized betting on horse races in 1984, but only at racetracks. There are no racetracks in Missouri, so there is no legal betting on horses. Online horse betting could be part of sports betting legislation.
There are illegal offshore websites that offer sports betting in Missouri. They do not hold a license from any US jurisdiction to legally accept bets from residents. Without regulation from the state, these offshore betting apps are under no obligation to resolve any disputes that arise. Additionally, there is nothing that keeps an offshore sportsbook from disappearing with its customers’ money.
The safest and most protected way to bet on sports in the United States is with a licensed sportsbook.
Missouri horse racing
Technically, betting on Missouri horse racing is legal. However, no racing currently operates in Missouri. Although the state legalized horse racing and betting in 1984, no developers found the details appealing enough to open a track.
One problem is the law only permits simulcast wagering on days that tracks hold live races.
There have been several efforts in the legislature over the years to interest investors in opening a track by changing the law to allow simulcast betting throughout the year and allow casino games at racetracks, but so far those efforts have failed.
Although horse betting theoretically is legal in Missouri at a racetrack, it is not legal to bet on races from around the country on online platforms. Online horse racing betting could be part of future sports betting legislation.
Missouri DFS pick’em and social sportsbooks
Daily fantasy sports contests are legal under Missouri state law. The Missouri Fantasy Consumer Protection Act of 2016 established a licensing format for legitimate DFS providers to operate as normal vendors in the state. Several DFS companies are in good standing with the Missouri government to do business in the state.
In March 2024, the Missouri Gaming Commission sent a memo to licensed fantasy sports operators to cease and desist from offering against-the-house pick’em contests. Peer-to-peer fantasy contests are still available in the state, as is social sports betting on sweepstakes-style platforms.
Fliff Missouri
Fliff is a social sportsbook that looks and feels like a traditional sportsbook. Users compete against one another by making picks on the platform the same way they would place a wager at a traditional online sportsbook. However, instead of using real money, Fliff users can collect either “Fliff Coins,” which have no cash value, or “Fliff Cash,” which are eligible to redeem for real money at a rate of 1:1. Fliff users can also “follow” each other on the app like on any other social platform to track picks and interact with one another.
Rebet Missouri
Similar to Fliff, the Rebet social sportsbook offers wagers using dual virtual currencies — in this case, “Rebet Coins” and “Rebet Cash.” The second of those offers a chance to redeem winnings for real money. As a social sportsbook, Rebet also offers social-style options that users can use to follow their friends. The platform also offers peer-to-peer wagering and the option for users to “rebet” their friends’ wagers.
Most popular sports to bet on in Missouri
Missouri is home to several professional sports organizations. There are representatives of almost every major sports league in the Show-Me State. In some cases, there are two. Should Missouri ever legalize sports betting, these teams will be hot tickets.
NFL betting in Missouri
The story of the NFL in Missouri is very much a tale of two cities. Kansas City is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. Meanwhile, St. Louis has had two NFL teams leave the city. The bottom line is that there is only one Missouri NFL team right now:
- Kansas City Chiefs: Arrowhead Stadium, 1 Arrowhead Drive, Kansas City, MO 64129
MLB betting in Missouri
Missouri’s two major cities are each home to Major League Baseball teams. Both have experienced success in the past two decades, with World Series rings in both camps.
- Kansas City Royals: Kauffman Stadium, 1 Royal Way, Kansas City, MO 64129
- St. Louis Cardinals: Busch Stadium, 700 Clark Ave., St. Louis, MO 63102
NHL betting in Missouri
A single representative from the NHL calls Missouri home, and in 2019, it brought the state its first Stanley Cup.
- St. Louis Blues: Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Ave., St. Louis, MO 63103
NBA betting in Missouri
The lone exception to the presence of major professional sports leagues in Missouri is the NBA. Since the Kansas City Kings left in the mid-1980s, the state has been without an NBA representative.
For whatever reason, professional basketball has had difficulty staying afloat in Missouri. Before the Kings, Missourians also witnessed the end of both the NBA’s St. Louis Bombers and the ABA’s Spirits of St. Louis, along with the arrival of the St. Louis Hawks and then their departure to Atlanta. NBA fans in Missouri must turn to the Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Memphis Grizzlies, or Chicago Bulls as the closest teams to root for.
NCAA betting in Missouri
Missouri is home to several prominent universities. Of course, the largest and best-known college in the state is the University of Missouri in Columbia. The Tigers have experienced success in multiple sports. However, there are several other Division I universities in Missouri, and many of them figure to be popular options if the state allows sports betting:
- Missouri State University
- Saint Louis University
- Southeast Missouri State University
- University of Missouri-Kansas City
The unknown factor for college sports betting in Missouri is how many activities the law or the Missouri Gaming Commission would allow as options for Missouri sports bettors. In-state colleges are frequent subjects of restrictions from lawmakers and gambling commissions in other states. Bettors sometimes cannot place certain types of wagers or bet on in-state schools at all.
So, although games featuring the above schools would be popular choices, it’s not yet clear whether they would be legal options.
Missouri sports betting timeline
2024
Two new sports betting bills, SB 852 and SB 824, are filed at the start of the state’s 2024 Legislative session.
Saint Louis University and YouGov release a poll that shows 60% support from Missouri residents for sports betting legalization to support public education.
FanDuel and DraftKings donate more than $2 million toward the Missouri sports betting ballot initiative. The Winning for Missouri Education initiative submits 340,000 signatures to the Secretary of State’s Office. 170,000 valid signatures are required to get the question of sports betting on the ballot.
The 2024 legislative session ends on May 24 without passing legal sports betting legislation.
The Missouri Gaming Commission sent a memo to licensed fantasy sports operators on March 19 to cease and desist offering against-the-house pick’em contests. The state still allows peer-to-peer fantasy contests.
The secretary of state announces that sports betting will appear on the ballot in November.
2023
Multiple sports betting bills are introduced during the 2023 legislative session, including SB 30, which passes the House but fails in the Senate near the finish line.
All the introduced legislation fails during the 2023 session, with Sen. Denny Hoskins playing a key role. Hoskins wants sports betting tied to regulatory language for video lottery terminals and participates in filibusters throughout the session.
The Hoskins obstruction began in 2022 when he prevented Rep. Dan Houx’s proposal despite a coalition of the state’s professional teams, casinos, and national sportsbook companies backing the legislation.
In September, the Missouri Pro Sports Coalition, consisting of six pro sports teams in the state, files eight proposals to amend the state constitution to allow Missouri sportsbooks.
2022
There is renewed hope in 2022 for Missouri’s online sports betting. A proposal from a coalition backed by the state’s professional sports teams, casinos, and national sportsbook operators appears to have steam.
Legislation containing the proposal passes the House and advances to the Senate floor. In the Senate chamber, however, the proposal is filibustered by the author of a competing bill.
While three alternate proposals are presented to the coalition, the casinos disagree with the new compromises. The Senate adjourns for the year without acting on a sports betting bill.
2021
While there is momentum from previous years’ efforts, Missouri sports betting legislation fails to gain much traction in 2021. A main bill legalizing sports betting falls to the side without casino support, as it was tied to video lottery terminal regulation.
2020
Despite the progress in the special committee at the end of 2019, Missouri legislators introduce six bills in 2020, and most have the same problems as old bills.
Even after what Rep. Dan Shaul said in the special committee, he introduces a bill with an integrity fee and official league data. That bill, which also included video lottery terminals and would have allowed the lottery to offer games based on the outcomes of sporting events, quickly advances to the House floor. The bill ultimately fails.
2019
A Missouri sports betting bill that the House General Laws Committee passes would have been like a dream to sports leagues. Not only would it have given them their request of an official league data mandate, but also their old request of a 0.25% integrity fee plus an additional 0.6% of handle to fund maintenance upkeep at Missouri sports facilities.
A Special Interim Committee on Gaming convenes in October seemed to have a better understanding of what is necessary in a bill for potential sportsbooks in the state to put out a competitive product.
2018
The first MO sports betting bills appear in 2018. Even then, there is a lot of interest but not much agreement on how to conduct sports betting.
In preparation for the US Supreme Court overturning PASPA, Missouri legislators introduce six sports betting bills.
Missouri sports betting FAQ
Sports betting is not legal in Missouri. Sports betting legislation is again on the table in 2024 but some of the same roadblocks remain. An initiative for the November ballot is planned for voters statewide to decide. A 2025 launch appears to be the earliest possible scenario.
The Missouri Gaming Commission. The MGC oversees all gambling in the state — even charitable gaming — except for the lottery. It is the natural regulator for any new gambling in Missouri, including sports betting, and many of the bills under consideration explicitly name it as the oversight agency. It’s possible that the lottery commission might end up in charge of regulation. That, however, is the less likely of the two options.
Likely yes. The most prominent measures under consideration allow for online and retail sports betting. Barring some unforeseen changes during the amendment process, Missourians will be able to bet online if legislation passes in 2024. Given the examples that Missouri lawmakers have observed in Iowa and Illinois with initial in-person registration requirements muting revenue, it’s unlikely that any legislator will want to restrict online sports betting with tethering.
You’ll need to be 21 or older. The existing gambling options in the state have already established a precedent for players to be over the drinking age, and the active measures in the Missouri General Assembly each identify eligible players as people over the age of 21.
No. There are currently no sportsbook operators that are licensed at the federal level, which means all US sportsbooks are licensed at the state level. Any website that suggests betting from anywhere in the US is allowed is a website that operates offshore. It is not legal for those sites to accept bets from US citizens, and those sites offer no protection to those who bet on them.