Missouri sports betting finally has an official launch date. The industry, which was approved to go live on Election Day in 2024, will open its virtual doors on December 1, 2025.
Some lawmakers initially hoped for Missouri sports betting to launch in late-summer, ahead of the 2025 NFL and college football seasons. However, that ultimately failed to come to fruition. As a result, Missourians looking to bet on football legally will miss more than half of the season.
Why was the Missouri sports betting launch delayed?
Earlier this year, the Missouri Gaming Commission applied for emergency rules consideration. Approval would have expedited the process considerably and allowed sports betting (and, by extension, Missouri sports betting promos) to go live as soon as late-June.
However, Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected that application in February. At the time, he said the motion did not meet the standards for emergency status as laid out by state laws.
Hoskins is no stranger to the sports betting battle in his home state. Formerly a state Senator, he repeatedly attempted to couple sports betting legislation with proposals concerning video lottery terminals, or VLTs.
This wasn’t a popular viewpoint, but he used his power to block several relevant bills before moving to his current post. As Missouri lagged, neighboring states such as Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee all launched legal sports betting industries.
As a result of the legislative gridlock, operators formed Winning for Missouri Education, which succeeded in getting Amendment 2 on the 2024 ballot. That initiative narrowly passed and clinched a launch of sports betting in Missouri by mid-December.
What operators should we expect?
We’ll learn more about this as operators apply for MO sports betting licenses. The window to do so opened Thursday, when the official “go live” date was announced by the MGC.
Given past state launches, we should expect the following online sportsbooks to launch in the Show-Me State…
Those who haven’t yet opened accounts in neighboring states can expect a wide range of sportsbook bonuses. These will ensure new customers are rewarded not just during football season, but as winter sports kick into high gear.
