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Sports betting in Missouri will happen this year. This is after residents barely voted for it during the 2024 election (seriously, it won by a few hundred votes only). Of course, the question is when and how will Missouri go live with legalized sports betting?
We have some answers — not from intuition, but because a draft of the state’s betting regulations got posted online. Could things change? Sure. But this draft gives us a pretty clear idea of how Missouri wants to approach things.
Keep on reading and we’ll break down what Missouri’s draft sports betting regulations mean, why they matter, and what surprises might still be lurking around the corner.
It’s All About The Benjamins
Let’s start with the money — because when it comes to gambling, that’s what always matters most to all parties. The draft regulations lay out a licensing fee structure that ranges from reasonable to eyebrow-raising. Official league data providers would pay a modest $10,000 for their licenses. But if you’re a stand-alone mobile platform, buckle up. You’ll need to pony up a cool $500,000 to play in this market. Retail bookies are more in the middle with a $250,000 get-in price tag.
Moreover, Missouri’s draft plan could see up to 21 digital sports betting platforms operating in the state. That includes licenses not just for the usual suspects— in-state casinos — but also for professional sports venues and two highly coveted stand-alone mobile licenses. In other words, Missouri’s sports betting landscape is going to be crowded.
It’s clear that the state is aiming to strike a balance between accessibility and profitability though. By allowing both physical venues and mobile apps, Missouri seems to understand the modern bettor’s need for flexibility. However, the hefty price tag for stand-alone mobile operations signals that this won’t be a free-for-all. Only serious players need to apply (yes, we’re looking at you DraftKings and FanDuel).
No, but seriously, those two licenses are almost locks to be DraftKings and FanDuel — the two biggest players in the mobile betting app space. Not because of their market share, but because of how much money they forked over to legalize betting in Missouri. The two companies spent $43 million campaigning for legalization.
Missouri won’t grant them licenses automatically. There will be a formal bid process, which was included in the draft too. It said apps will be evaluated on “their ability to generate, maximize and sustain revenues for the state” and the “capacity to increase” the number of customers on a platform. Surely, DraftKings and FanDuel check both those boxes.
It Will Be Months Before Betting Is Live
So when can Missourians expect to place their first legal sports bet? That’s question number one atop almost everyone’s mind.
If the draft is to be believed, the target date is June. By then, you miss out on betting events like the Super Bowl (already passed and sorry, Chiefs fans), March Madness, and the NBA Finals. But it is before NFL season starts (where most of the betting money is made anyway) and gives you a few months to work out the kinks, which there will surely be at first.
But here’s another positive of the June deadline: it gives the state a cushion in case it does run into a delay. When regulating a brand new industry, things can be a slow burn so four months from now might be too tight of a timeline to hit. What matters most is to get live before NFL Week 1 in early September so even a July launch date would be ok.
The Draft’s Grey Areas
No regulatory draft would be complete without a little ambiguity to keep things interesting. In Missouri’s case, certain terms in the draft language could open the door to interpretation — and possibly contention.
Take “affiliate,” for example. The draft doesn’t clearly define it, which could create confusion for marketing partners and content creators looking to get a piece of the sports betting pie. And then there are the more subjective criteria like “moral character” and “unsavoury reputation.” Who decides what crosses the line? With terms like these, licensing decisions could get murky quickly.
Interestingly, a section initially included in the draft — requiring operators to prevent or report “violent” or “obscene” online activities — was removed before submission to the governor. Was it too vague? Too difficult to enforce? Whatever the reason, its removal simplifies the draft but leaves questions about how the state plans to handle content moderation in the betting space.
What’s Next?
If everything goes to plan, Missourians could be placing their first legal sports bets by June. But whether the state can stick to this timeline depends on the outcome of the public comment period and how quickly regulators can iron out the ambiguities we mentioned above.
One thing’s for sure: Missouri is getting ready to play. The only question is — which operators are ready to ante up, and by what day will they begin getting a return on their investment?
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