Missouri sports betting launches in a couple of months’ time. When it does, bettors will likely be able to take their pick from most of the biggest sportsbooks in the U.S. market.
The deadline for operators to apply for a license was Friday, Sept. 12. A Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) spokesperson confirmed to SBC Americas that at least nine sportsbooks applied before the deadline, including DraftKings and Circa Sports, which were awarded the pair of untethered licenses in mid-August.
More applicants could follow, as the MGC will accept any applications post-dated Sept. 12. The spokesperson added that they expect the list to grow. The MGC will provide an updated list in due course.
All other applicants will have to partner with an in-state casino or pro sports team in order to launch in the state. As of Sept. 15, the following operators have applied for a tethered license in what will be the 33rd U.S. jurisdiction to offer legal online sports betting.
- bet365
- BetMGM
- Caesars
- Fanatics
- FanDuel
- PENN Entertainment (ESPN Bet)
- Underdog
While most of the leading U.S.-market sportsbooks have filed to enter Missouri, as of Sept. 15, some other renowned operators are missing from the list, such as BetRivers and Hard Rock Bet.
A Rush Street Interactive (RSI) representative told SBC Americas that the company is not planning to launch BetRivers in Missouri at this time. The company does not have any land-based casinos in the state.
Missouri’s new sports betting law allows for the MGC to hand out up to 19 retail sports betting licenses and up to 14 online sports betting licenses. Tethered licenses cost half as much as DraftKings and Circa have had to pay, but the partnered licenses require operators to share revenue with a casino or sports team.
Regardless of the type of license, all online Missouri sports betting operators will be taxed at 10% of their revenue.
Which sports teams are involved?
After being rejected for an untethered license, FanDuel announced a Missouri sports betting market access partnership with Major League Soccer team St. Louis City last month. Bet365 struck a partnership with the city’s MLB team, the St. Louis Cardinals, back in March.
BetMGM has had a deal with Century Casinos in place since May and the retail operator suggested that a brick-and-mortar sportsbook at one of its casinos could be on the cards.
Meanwhile, Caesars and PENN will each run two retail sportsbooks in existing casinos that they own in the state, and Fanatics has partnered with Boyd Gaming and has confirmed it also intends to offer land-based betting as well as mobile wagering. Early confirmed applicant Underdog has not confirmed who its partner will be, but other major sports teams in the state currently unaccounted for include the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, MLB’s KC Royals and the NHL’s St. Louis Blues.
Around 800 gaming applications in total
The MGC added to SBC Americas that it has received 734 license applications from sports wagering companies including mobile, retail and supplier license applications.
“This number is increasing every hour, and an update will be available later in the week,” said a spokesperson. MGC Chair Jan Zimmerman told local media over the weekend that the number was up to around 800.
The next step is a pair of commission meetings on Sept. 23 and 24 to review applications and hear from applicants.
The MGC expects to issue temporary licenses in late October, allowing approved sportsbooks several weeks to ramp up before the Missouri sports betting market launches on Dec. 1.
