Missouri Sports Betting (Finally) Get an Official Launch Date

Missouri sports betting at long last has its launch date. And not everybody is going to be happy about it.

Initially, officials hoped sports betting in Missouri could launch by August 1. That projection was quickly dashed when Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected the emergency rules application filed by the Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) this past winter. 

Since then, the confirmation of a rollout date has remained uncertain. Amendment 2, the law that legalized Missouri sports betting, stipulated it must launch by December 2025. Still, many wondered if The Show Me State could be that projection. Others pondered whether that timeline could be pushed back. After all, the state still needed to hammer out the sportsbook application process, in addition to finalizing other important details.

Recently, though, the MGC confirmed a debut date for Missouri sports betting. It will go live on December 1, 2025—neither earlier nor later than expected. “August 30 is the date for the licensing rules to become effective,” an MGC spokesperson explained, via Pat Evans of Legal Sports Report. “But after that, there is still a process for review and background of applicants before licenses can be issued and sports wagering can go live. The launch date will be December 1.”

Some are painting this Missouri sports betting timeline as a victory. The primary argument behind the emergency rules application wasn’t that officials were desperate for August 1 to be the date. It was that the process required to launch operations would take longer by conventional methods, and that hitting the December deadline would prove unfeasible. 

As it turns out, this isn’t the case. So, in essence, that’s a win. But it’s also a loss.

There Will Be No Missouri Sports Betting to Start the 2025 NFL Season

Many other markets have timed their launches with the peak of betting on the NFL season. That is clearly what Missouri wanted to do, too. Launching by the start of August aligns with the beginning of the NFL preseason, ensuring interest and business would be high for Week 1 in September. 

That scenario is out the window, which means the initial launch of Missouri sports betting may not be as lucrative as expected. It may normalize over the course of the first 12 months, because that still incorporates the start of the 2026 NFL season. What’s more, operations will be live in The Show Me State leading right into NFL playoffs betting.

Still, it’ll be interesting to see whether the timing has any impact in the Missouri sports betting handle early on. The total amount wagered over the first couple of months could be repressed by people taking time to create accounts and enter a betting rhythm. Those who have placed wagers in the past, either in other states or with offshore betting sites, will cannonball into the fray right away. People who are just starting out, though, may take a while before fully diving into the process.

Then again, the inverse could also be true. Missourians could be so itching to bet on NFL football through the regular season that they come out in higher volume than expected for the launch ahead of the playoffs. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Other Details of Sports Betting Launch in Missouri are Also Confirmed

A handful of other Missouri sports betting details aside from the launch date are now finalized as well. As Evans writes:

“Applicants for the two licenses available through the MGC must submit their applications by July 15. Those operators will appear before the MGC Aug. 13. The MGC will announce the two selected operators Aug. 15. Applicants for in-person and online sportsbooks through the state’s casinos and sports teams must turn in applications by Sept. 12 if they hope to be live on Dec. 1. Along with the MGC’s two standalone licenses, the state’s 13 riverboat casinos can each partner with an online sportsbook. They can also offer in-person sportsbooks. The six professional sports teams can also partner with sportsbooks. The St. Louis Cardinals announced a partnership with bet365 earlier this year. Missouri will tax sports betting revenue at 10 percent.”

The number of available Missouri sports betting licenses was previously up in the air. This setup above confrirms speculation that started trickling out a few months ago. 

Should the Missouri Tax Rate on Sports Betting Be Higher?

Beyond that, the 10 percent tax rate is drawing some attention. It lands on the low-middle end of the domestic average, particularly now with so many officials seeking to raise taxes on sports betting in the United States.

Relative to Missouri’s market size, some believe this is a miss. The state could generate millions of more in annual revenue with a 15 percent or even 20 percent tax rate. Neither is unprecedented, either. A handful of states have sports betting tax rates in the 40s and 50s. While Missouri sports betting isn’t as in-demand as, say, Texas sports betting, it has six pro franchises inside the market. Sports betting operators could surely be leveraged into paying more. 

Yet, this might be what happens when you leave Missouri sports betting legalization to pro sports franchises and betting operators themselves. Remember, The Show Me State failed to approve ballot measures through conventional methods. No initiative ever made it through both the House and Senate. That paved the way for a coalition of sports teams and sportsbook operators to fund a petition signed by a percentage of the betting population. That petition then appeared on the 2024 electoral ballot and (just barely) approved by voters. 

This is how we end up here. And while the MGC will no doubt seek to raise taxes over time, you can’t help but wonder if the House and Senate cost the state tens of millions over the next few years by not taking charge of this issue themselves. 

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