Missouri has not started licensing local sportsbooks. Though you can visit the online sports betting sites we recommend below. Missouri is home to a few professional and collegiate teams, thanks to the Kansas City and St. Louis hubs. Their college football programs are considered some of the best and perform well in college football playoffs. Check back here for the latest Missouri sports betting legal updates, where to place the best bets in MO, and more!
*Lawmakers continue to work for change in the state. However, the bookmakers we’ve listed above will be the focus for the near future, as sports bettors won’t have access to major providers such as DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, PointsBet, BetRivers, Fox Bet, and Unibet until state officials amend the sports betting laws.
Table of Contents
Can I bet on Sports in Missouri? Missouri Casinos Betting on Missouri Sports Teams Missouri Sports Betting Legalization Timeline Top Online Sportsbooks for Betting in MissouriAs for gambling in the state of Missouri, there is no legislation on sports betting yet, but they do have casinos, Daily Fantasy Sports, and social gambling available. There were hopes to have sports betting in Missouri legalized beginning in 2020, but since then, numerous efforts to approve it have fallen flat—mostly inside the Senate.
The casinos in Missouri are a mix of state-licensed land-based and riverboat casinos, and many are huddled together near St. Louis. There is one tribal casino in the state of Missouri, owned and operated by the local Native American tribe.
Missouri is one of the few states that have legalized Daily Fantasy Sports, which they approved in 2016. Though bets can’t be placed on the revered high school and college football games, they can get in on the action by betting the NFL and other professional sports.
They have social gambling, which is difficult to regulate, but they do have pretty strict regulations so that it may remain legal. People are allowed to take bets and gamble with friends, but the person taking the bets can’t take a cut or make a profit from it.
A recent discussion regarding the legalization of gambling in Missouri saw things turn sour. Specifically, state senator Denny Hoskins has filibustered on behalf of Video Lottery Terminals. Because most lawmakers don't think they should be legalized, the latest Missouri sports betting bill(s) are unlikely to pass.
Can I bet on Sports in Missouri?
You can’t currently go to a sportsbook venue to place a wager in Missouri, but you can bet online. There are no laws or regulations preventing you from signing up at an online sportsbook, making a deposit and placing a bet.
Online sportsbooks are more convenient than real in-person sportsbooks because you can get in on the action without leaving the comfort of your own home. You can bet from the couch, from the dinner table or from the man cave.
Missouri Casinos
- Ameristar St Charles
- Ameristar Kansas City
- Argosy Casino Riverside
- Harrah’s North Kansas City
- Hollywood Casino St. Louis
- Isle Casino Cape Girardeau
- Isle of Capri Casino Booneville
- Isle of Capri Kansas City
- Lady Luck Casino Caruthersville
- Mark Twain Casino La Grange
- Lumiere Place St. Louis
- River City Casino St. Louis
- President Casino Laclede’s Landing
- St. Jo Frontier Casino St. Joseph
Betting on Missouri Sports Teams
The current Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs are the resident NFL team in the state. No other professional teams in the state really have the fanbase that the Chiefs have, and it continues to grow as the Chiefs are becoming a stronger team year after year, earning three Super Bowl wins since 2019.
The Kansas City Royals are one of the Major League Baseball teams in the state and were quite popular in the ’70s and into the ’80s but have lost relevance since then. In recent years, they made it to the World Series and became the topic of conversation again. In 2015, they made it back to the World Series and won their second title in franchise history.
The St. Louis Cardinals have been around for over 135 years, with 28 playoff appearances, 23 pennants, and 11 World Series victories. Their last win wasn’t too long ago, in 2011, but they have had some struggles in the past few years and are on the rebuild.
St. Louis also hosts an NHL team, the St. Louis Blues, which is fairly popular since the Rams left, because there aren’t really many options for professional sports in the wintertime in the state of Missouri.
The Blues have been around for about 50 years and have secured a playoff spot in many of those seasons. They were recently the Stanley Cup Champions (2019) and are now looking ahead to clinch the title again in 2024.
The Missouri Tigers college football program is popular statewide, and though they’re only a college team, they generate big buzz as one of the only football program in the state that’s worth a watch. They’ve been in action for 100 years and have made it to a Bowl games dozens of times, with an almost even split of wins and losses. Lately, we wouldn’t put our money on them even making a Bowl game, but hopefully, they are on the mend and score some great talent in the coming years.
A Brief Timeline of the Legality of Missouri Sports Betting
- April 12, 2024 - A new poll shows that roughly 60 percent of voters say they would favor some form of legal sports betting in Missouri.
- March 20, 2024 — On March 19, the Missouri Gaming Commission issued a memo directing licensed fantasy sports operators to stop providing against the house pick-'em contests. However, the state still permits peer-to-peer fantasy contests to continue operating.
- January 12, 2024 - St. Louis Cardinals and five other major Missouri teams are taking the lead in launching a sports betting initiative, aiming for a proposed constitutional amendment on the 2024 ballot after unsuccessful lobbying efforts.
- December 27, 2023 - Prospects for further sports betting expansion in Missouri might diminish following swift growth, which has already reached 38 states.
- November 4, 2023 - The Kansas City Chiefs have teamed up with Game Sense and BetMGM to promote responsible gambling at their stadium this NFL season.
- October 5, 2023 - In an effort to bring legal sports betting to Missouri, the Missouri Pro Sports Coalition has submitted four proposals to amend the state's constitution.
- July 3, 2023 - The Kansas City Royals have expressed their endorsement of legalizing sports betting in Missouri. They have suggested the possibility of presenting a ballot measure to the state's voters.
- June 10, 2023 - Rep. Denny Hoskins, the legislator who has been attributed with impeding the legalization of sports betting in Missouri this year, is now contemplating a potential transition to a different government role.
- May 4, 2023 - During a recent session, the Missouri Senate discussed sports betting at length for eight hours, but no active bills were voted on.
- January 30, 2023 - On Thursday, Feb. 9, the Emerging Issues Committee of the Missouri House of Representatives will review HB 556, sponsored by Representative Dan Houx. This bill is part of his ongoing efforts for MO sports betting, which saw success in the House last year.
Missouri Sports Betting Legalization Timeline
2018-2019: Early Momentum
Even before the US Supreme Court decision that made it possible for Missouri to open up sports betting legalization, they had already introduced six bills t¡doing just that. The state seemed poised to capitalize on this.
However, this momentum died out in 2019. The betting deal was a sweet deal for some, but did not provide a lot of tax revenue. This caused the state legislature to decide to take a seat and think about the best way to handle sports betting legalization. It seems less a quesiton of if and more of when.
2020-2021: Continued Advancement but No Cigar
In 2020, again, six bills to legalize sports betting were introduced. these bills often included integrity fees and league data. Another conflict yet to be resolved among these bills is whether or not to restrict riverboats.
It seems like there is a lot of debate about how to handle the different interest groups in the Show-Me State. Expect the revenue dollars to be a motivation and Missouri to get sports legalization passed over the next few years.
2021-2024: Video Lottery Terminals Derail Sports Betting Efforts
For so long, a lack of support among members of the Senate has been considered the biggest obstacle to gambling expansion in the Show-Me State. More specifically, repeated filibustering from Senator Denny Hoskins has scuttled Missouri sports gambling hopes on a near-annual basis. The Senator is an avid proponent of including video lottery terminals (VLTs) in any sports betting legislature. Most of his peers, though, don’t like the idea of approving a form of gambling that is especially tough to regulate.
To that end, the belief is that sports betting in Missouri will be legalized once this issue is resolved. Or failing that, it will be legalized once Senator Hoskins leaves office.
Top Online Sportsbooks for Betting in Missouri
Choosing an online sportsbook can be challenging. There are so many options—some are bad, some are amazing, some have sketchy rules, there are too many factors to consider. We tried to narrow the list for you and chose a few of the best sportsbooks to review.
We wanted to give a subjective review of sportsbooks we personally have used, and hopefully our reviews help you make an educated decision. We evaluate criteria such as deposit options, bonuses, odds available and cashout options and lay out all of the facts in our online sportsbook reviews.
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