Missouri will launch online sports betting on December 1, 2025, the date set in the constitutional amendment. The confirmation of the launch date comes from Missouri Gaming Commission Chairman Jan Zimmerman.
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Missourians had hoped to start betting on sports much earlier, specifically when their beloved Kansas City Chiefs take to the gridiron for the start of the 2025 NFL season. Sadly, that won't come to .
But with Amendment 2 ing, narrowly in November of 2024, why will it take a year for sports gambling to launch in the Show-Me State?
Emergency Rule Denied
The Missouri Gaming Commission started establishing a gaming regulatory framework months ago. The Commission reached out to the 38 other states who'd already legalized sports gambling for their best practices and learnt lessons shortly after Amendment 2 ed, hoping to get rules written well and approved within a few months.
The Commission had also asked to fast-track the process of approving its rules and regulations through an emergency rules request to Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins. Hoskins denied the request, stating there was no such emergency.
Had an emergency ruling been approved by the Secretary of State, the rules would have been sped up enormously, allowing the Commission to by a consultation period for its set of rules and regulations for the state's sports gambling industry, launching sports gambling in the summer rather than the winter.
Missouri's Lengthy Application Process
Another reason for the long delay is Missouri's lengthy application process. The Commission will hand out 19 retail and 14 online sports betting licenses. That means they'll have to vet every aspect of every applicant's business.
Applicants can file for a tethered or untethered license, which does not require the applicant to partner with a Missouri-based sports team or brick-and-mortar casino. Only two untethered licenses will be given.
The vetting process is expected to last until September 12, 2025.
Known Applicants For Sports Betting License In Missouri
So far, we know that FanDuel and DraftKings will apply for a license. Both sports betting giants were instrumental in getting Amendment 2 ed, with millions of dollars in donations to "Winning for Missouri Education," the entity that pushed for legalized sports betting in Missouri.
Caesars was another party that donated $3.3 million to Winning For Missouri Education and will thus likely apply for a license
In March, the St. Louis Cardinals announced a partnership with bet365. That partnership includes advertising rights on Cardinals broadcasts on radio, TV, and online. Bet365 also received the naming rights to a ticketed seating deck on the second level of Busch Stadium called the bet365 Bridge.
Sports Betting Dime confirmed that BetMGM would also apply for a license, entering the latest US market to open its doors to legalized sports gambling.
