The Missouri sports betting industry will take shape over the next several months. Regulators are set to establish the framework for it, with a Missouri sports betting launch coming at some point in 2025.
The question is, what will MO sports betting wins up looking like when all is said and done? We’ll attempt to hammer that out here.
Amendment 2 language is wide-ranging
Under the terms of Amendment 2 (which narrowly passed in November), Missouri sports betting is set to have both online and retail components. The amendment legalizes the industry by way of online platforms, excursion gambling boats, and “any location within each sports district, as approved by each applicable professional sports team that plays its home games in such sports district.”
Furthermore, Amendment 2 states that licenses can also be distributed to professional teams within the state. That’s in addition to sportsbook operators that figure to set up shop in the state. This means on-site sportsbooks could come to venues such as Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium (home of the Chiefs) and St. Louis’s Busch Stadium (home of the Cardinals).
The process of awarding MO sports betting licenses figures to be a long one. That’s a main reason the industry (and, by extension, Missouri sports betting promos) probably won’t go live until mid-2025, at the earliest. Amendment 2 does say, however, that sports betting must launch in Missouri no later than December of 2025.
Other Missouri sports betting regulations to consider
Much of Amendment 2 consists of standard sports betting legislative verbiage. It establishes methods designed to promote responsible gambling in the state, including a new Compulsive Gambling Prevention Fund. It also ensures advertisements from sports betting providers do not specifically target minors.
Those looking to do business in the Show-Me State must also be prepared to pony up a license fee. Retail licensees must pay $250,000 every five years, while the online sports betting fee doubles that total to $500,000.
The legislation also includes notable tax language, too. The industry will launch with a 10% tax rate, one of the lowest such figures in the country.
