Missouri regulators are collecting public comments ahead of key licensing decisions, a major step before a scheduled Dec. 1 launch for legal mobile sportsbooks in the state.
Key takeaways
- Missouri regulators are finalizing sports betting rules ahead of a Dec. 1, 2025 online sportsbook launch.
- Two untethered mobile sportsbook licenses (not tied to casinos or sports teams) will be awarded Aug. 15; all other applicants must partner with a Missouri casino or pro team and apply by Sept. 12.
- Several major operators secured partnerships, including Bet365 with the St. Louis Cardinals and BetMGM with Century Casinos.
Interested parties can submit comments to the Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) on sports wagering rules introduced last month. These rules regulate key provisions of the 2024 sports betting ballot measure passed last year including licensing requirements and financial reports.
Comments aren’t likely to drastically alter the state’s proposed rules but provide a key additional phase amid the state’s nearly year-long approval process for legal sports betting.
Missouri sports betting background
Missouri voters narrowly approved statewide mobile sportsbooks in November 2024 as well as retail sportsbooks at the state’s casinos and professional sports venues. Missouri became the 39th state to approve legal sportsbooks.
The ballot measure outlined authorized sports betting purveyors but required the MGC to promulgate rules and regulations for sportsbooks. MGC hoped to launch mobile books by June 30, but the Missouri Secretary of State’s office denied a push for “emergency” approval.
Without emergency authorization, which would have expedited the approval process, MGC officials pushed the launch timeline to Dec. 1, 2025, the last day the 2024 ballot measure permitted.
The deadline to submit public comments, an important part of the licensing process, ends July 16. The MGC will hold a public hearing on the proposed rules July 17.
Next steps for Missouri sportsbooks
Missouri sports betting applicants face different deadlines depending on license type.
The 2024 ballot measure allows two untethered licenses for mobile sportsbooks that don’t have to partner with a brick-and-mortar casino or sports team. The two untethered licensees won’t need to negotiate a partnership fee with one of the land-based entities ,which is usually an upfront fee and/or a portion of gaming revenue.
The two untethered licensees must submit applications by July 15. The MGC will announce the two untethered license holders Aug. 15.
The remaining sportsbooks have until Sept. 12 to file their application if they seek to launch by Dec. 1. These operators must partner with one of the state’s 13 casinos or six pro sports teams.
Bet365 was the first company to announce such a partnership, striking a deal with MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals earlier this year. The deal sets up a statewide mobile launch in December and a potential retail sportsbook opening at the Cardinals’ Ballpark Village in downtown St. Louis ahead of the 2026 MLB season.
BetMGM followed with a deal with Century Casinos, which runs two properties in Missouri. ESPN BET, Bally Bet and Caesars already have agreements via Missouri casino properties and their associated sportsbooks and are among the likeliest candidates for licenses.
They will join U.S. market share leaders DraftKings and FanDuel, which financed nearly all the ballot measure support initiative. Other likely books include Underdog, BetRivers and Fanatics.
