Missouri Sports Betting Won’t Ban College Props

Despite only launching in December, Missouri sports betting regulators have already faced a major dilemma that will define the scope and scale of The Show-Me State’s gambling market. Should they ban prop betting on college sports? This is the question that required an answer. And regulators just gave one.

Missouri sports betting will not ban prop wagers on college players.

This decision was reached heading into February 2026 following a request from the NCAA that the state ban college props. It should be noted that this is not the first time the NCAA has sought similar action. Missouri also isn’t the first state to decline it.

Still, amid the rise of online sports betting through the United States, other local governing bodies are seeking to put more guardrails in place for the gambling industry. While the focus on safety measures vary by state, a number of them continue to emphasize maximizing safety for student-athletes. For good reason, too.

Multiple studies have shown that athletes at prominent Division 1 schools receive threats or incur some form of harassment from aggrieved bettors. These instances manifest in different ways. Most of them, though, take place via social media mentions or direct messages. In some cases, however, we have seen reports of student-athletes’ personal information getting doxed.

This is among the forces driving the NCAA’s attempt to limit prop betting transactions. On top of that, they also believe that gambling scandals these days are more likely to target individual lines rather than entire-game outcomes. College athletes are, in theory, uniquely vulnerable to bad actors on that front. Sure, NIL rights have given them an opportunity to financially capitalize on their performances. But not every student-athlete is lucratively compensated.

To that end, the NCAA has encountered plenty of support for its request. Even if markets don’t grant entire bans, some have adjusted their laws. But it does not appear sports betting in Missouri will follow the same route.

Why Missouri Sports Betting Regulators Won’t Ban College Props

The Missouri Gaming Commission, which oversees sports betting in The Show Me State, came swiftly after receiving a request from the NCAA. They then offered a brief explanation behind their decision. From the Associated Press’ dispatch on the matter:

“The action by the Missouri Gaming Commission came just a week after the NCAA sent a letter to state gambling oversight boards asking them to ban college athlete prop bets -- a popular type of wager focused on what individual players will do in a game, such as scoring a certain amount of points in basketball or surpassing a particular passing yardage in football.

“But Missouri gambling regulators said they didn't want to change the state's rules less than two months after legal sports betting launched in the state. Missouri became the 39th -- and latest -- state to allow sports betting Dec. 1 under a state constitutional amendment that narrowly won voter approval. ‘I just don't feel that I have enough information to grant a request by the NCAA to prohibit this type of sports wagering because I don't know enough yet,’ commission chair Jan Zimmerman said.”

This is a reasonable stance from the MGC’s perspective in a vacuum. Missouri sports betting is not yet 90 days old at this writing. The market needs more time to spot trends and review and improve regulatory practices.

Then again, the launch of Missouri sports betting is not exactly uncharted territory. The vast majority of the United States debuted some form of sports betting years ago. States that join the fold now have plenty of information off which work and make decisions. If college-athlete prop bets are increasing harassment and making games more vulnerable to manipulation elsewhere, Missouri won’t be a miraculous exception.

The Cold Hard Truth About College Prop Betting

The need for “more information” will suffice as reasoning right now. But don’t be surprised if and when “more information” doesn’t lead to change.

Prop bets have become an increasingly larger share of sportsbook business over the years. This is especially true for betting on college football props and NFL player props. A November 2025 report from The Athletic’s Dan Shanoff went as far as calling prop betting the “epicenter” of the sports gambling industry.

Any ban on college prop bets must account for this trend. Sportsbooks will—and actively are—pushing back against it. States, meanwhile, might fear for their wallets. A median outcome sees their sports betting tax revenue decline amid fewer game-line options. The absolute worst-case outcome could feature top sports betting sites vacating markets entirely rather than subjecting themselves to unwanted regulation.

To be sure, a mass exodus of sports betting operators is unlikely. At the same time, it is more likely in the current climate. States already have to grapple with certain sportsbooks transitioning into prediction markets. DraftKings and FanDuel have already launched their own. These transactions are subject to federal oversight, which isn’t as restrictive as state regulation. Right now, it does not seem as if sportsbooks want to lean all the way into prediction markets. But that could change if they believe they’re facing too many operational constrictions.

Missouri sports betting regulators have not publicly cited any of this as part of their college-props ruling. You better believe, however, it factored into their decision. Especially now. The first year of sports betting legalization is always the least lucrative. Sportsbooks are able to deduct winning wagers placed using bonus money. Those deductions are always highest when attempting to entice new customers. And that process is always at its highest volume in Year 1.

Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can find one that works for all of your sports betting needs: