No potential Missouri sportsbook applicants nor state residents spoke at a sportsbook rulemaking public hearing Thursday, continuing momentum for its scheduled Dec. 1 launch.
Key takeaways
- Missouri's sports betting launch remains on track for Dec. 1, as no objections were raised during a recent public hearing on proposed sportsbook regulations.
- FanDuel, DraftKings, and Circa are competing for two untethered licenses, while other books like Bet365, BetMGM, and ESPN BET pursue tethered access.
- Final rules are expected by Sept. 30, with license announcements for untethered sportsbooks set for Aug. 15 and tethered licensees after Sept. 12.
Missouri, like the other 30 states that approved legal mobile sports betting, requires state regulators to promulgate rules before licensing sportsbooks and accepting bets. These regulations cover a host of issues not covered in enacting legislation, including sportsbook licensing requirements, financial reporting and sporting events wagering eligibility.
A 2024 voter-backed constitutional amendment that approved sports betting requires books to go live by Dec. 1, meaning a public rules objection wouldn't have a direct impact on the state’s regulatory process. But a quiet public hearing Thursday indicated Missouri residents – and the industry - aren't speaking out against the state’s proposed sports betting rules and are moving toward the December launch.
Missouri sports betting background
When state lawmakers rejected efforts to legalize online sports betting in multiple legislative sessions, DraftKings and FanDuel partnered with the state’s major pro sports teams to place a constitutional amendment on the 2024 ballot. After getting just enough signatures to put the measure on the ballot, and surviving a late legal challenge, voters narrowly approved sports betting this past November.
The Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC), tasked with enacting the ensuing rules for legal sportsbooks, originally hoped to have regulations approved in time for a June 30 launch. The MGC pushed for emergency regulations to speed up the regulatory approval process, arguing the state was losing millions in tax revenue to offshore and unregulated operators.
That was thwarted after Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, who prevented sports betting legislation while a state senator, determined the commission’s rules didn’t meet “emergency” standard requirements, pushing the launch back to Dec. 1.
“…there is no legitimate justification for bypassing the standard rulemaking process, which is designed to give the public the chance to weigh in on decisions that affect them,” Hoskins wrote in a letter earlier this year addressing his rejection of the proposed emergency rules.
The proposals now head to the legislature’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, a group of lawmakers that weigh in on the state’s proposed regulations. Should the committee advance the MGC’s proposal, the state can finalize permanent rules by Sept. 30, giving the MGC two months to review and approve potential sportsbook licenses under those parameters.
Members of the public and industry stakeholders have additional opportunities for comment ahead of the rules finalization.
Missouri sportsbook applicants
Six sportsbooks announced their intentions to launch in Missouri. Another half dozen could go live on Dec. 1.
FanDuel, DraftKings and Circa applied for one of two untethered licenses the ballot measure created. The two untethered licensees won't have to partner with a Missouri pro sports team or casino, potentially saving the operator millions of dollars in annual market access agreement payments.
Statutory requirements for the two untethered licenses include promotional spending commitments and revenue generation potential, which would favor FanDuel and DraftKings. The duo spent billions on player acquisition costs since 2018 and combined accept more than two-thirds of all legal online U.S. sports bets.
FanDuel and DraftKings each contributed more than $40 million to the ballot measure approval campaign.
The MGC will announce the two untethered licensees Aug. 15. It'll reveal the tethered licensees sometime after its Sept. 12 application deadline.
Sportsbooks that have applied for Missouri licenses and/or announced market access deals:
— Ryan Butler (@ButlerBets) July 17, 2025
bet365
BetMGM
Circa
DraftKings
FanDuel
Underdog
Other likely/potential sportsbooks*:
Bally Bet
BetRivers
Caesars
ESPN BET
Fanatics
Hard Rock
*Not an exhaustive list
Should Circa not win an untethered license, it could still partner with one of the state’s eligible professional sports teams or casino operators.
Bet365 has a deal with MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals and BetMGM secured market access through Century Casinos. ESPN BET (PENN Entertainment), Bally Bet (Bally’s) and Caesars already have market access through affiliations with their respective parent companies operating Missouri casinos.
Underdog already applied for a mobile sports betting license, though it hasn’t publicly announced a market access deal. Fanatics, BetRivers and Hard Rock highlight a group of additional potential licensees.
