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The Chiefs just avoided an 0-3 start by topping the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football. Being it was against a big-market team and in primetime, this would’ve been perfect betting fodder for locals.
But alas, Missouri sports betting is not live yet. Nor will betting be live until December 1, when the NFL regular season is winding down. We’re still two months and change from legal sports betting hitting the state, but regulators are in the midst of preparing for the incoming onslaught.
The Missouri Gaming Commission just wrapped up its first big deadline, and we now know who’s lined up to take bets on Day 1. Keep reading, and we’ll tell you which top mobile betting apps will be ready for go-live. Plus, we have other details on other looming deadlines.
Ten Sportsbooks Already Locked In
The commission’s September 12 deadline has now come and gone. It was the deadline to apply for a sportsbook license to be ready by December 1. Ten operators have applied and been approved: Caesars, Circa, DraftKings, ESPN Bet, Fanatics, FanDuel, Underdog, bet365, BetMGM, and Kambi.
Circa and DraftKings stand out because they’re operating under untethered licenses — meaning they don’t need a partner to operate in the market. Other applicants HAD to co-op with either a local casino or pro sports team. Only two untethered licenses were available.
FanDuel, which lost out on that untethered license bidding process, pivoted quickly by partnering with St. Louis City FC. Other access deals have already been announced too. BetMGM is tied to Century Casinos, while Fanatics is teaming with Boyd. Bet365 inked a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals earlier this year.
More sportsbook operators are expected to join the fray, albeit not on the go-live date. The Gaming Commission confirmed that any applications postmarked by September 12 will still be considered, but likely for 2026.
Notable names not currently slotted to enter the market are BetRivers and Hard Rock Bet. Both have carved a name for themselves in some states so we’d expect them to eventually come to the Show Me State. But the state of Missouri hasn’t received any applications from them yet.
More Deadlines On The Road To Launch
The September 12 deadline was just the first hurdle. Operators now have until September 26 to file detailed house rules and internal control documents. Temporary licenses are expected by October 22, which will allow suppliers and regulators to test systems ahead of launch.
Customer sign-ups officially open on November 17, two weeks before the December 1 start date. That means bettors can preload accounts, claim bonuses, and be ready to fire when the switch flips. For bettors that already have accounts on these apps, they’ll work just fine with the same info — no need to re-sign up.
The timing of this rollout is important. Missouri is missing two-thirds of the football regular season, which means thousands of wagers — and millions in tax dollars — have gone out the window. That money is likely flowing into one of three options: offshore sportsbooks, prediction markets, or neighboring states with legal markets (Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Tennessee).
Here’s the issue with launching so late, not only this season, but late as in seven years after the federal ban was lifted: Missouri bettors already have habits. Maybe they’ve been using offshore bookies for years now. “Old habits die hard”, as they say, and there’s no guarantee they’ll switch to Missouri-licensed apps once things are live.
How Big Will Missouri’s Sports Betting Market Be?
Legal Sports Report projects that Missouri’s betting market could generate up to $4.5 billion in wagers and $500 million in gross revenue every year. At the approved 10 percent tax rate, that translates into tens of millions of new dollars flowing into state coffers.
The tax structure is far more bettor-friendly than neighboring Illinois, which just hiked rates again. Illinois also now charges sportsbooks 25 cents per bet for the first 20 million wagers, and 50 cents for every bet after that. Top bookies like Draftskings and FanDuel have passed this tax on to customers on every bet too.
In a weird way, Missouri might benefit from Illinois’ greedy ways. Early backlash on social media suggests some Illinois bettors (living near the border) may simply cross into Missouri once the market opens. Be on the lookout for a place like East St. Louis. It’s technically in Illinois, but a quick drive to Missouri.
Combine that with pent-up demand inside Missouri, and December could deliver a massive opening month, especially if the Chiefs are playing well. Speaking of which, one of the biggest remaining questions is are the Chiefs partnering with any sportsbook?
As of this writing, no deal has been announced. But we don’t expect that to last. There’s simply too much money on the table for something NOT to happen. The Chiefs, after all, are the biggest brand in the NFL for as long as they’re contending for Super Bowls and Taylor Swift is attending games.
Plus, the Chiefs openly campaigned for legal sports betting. They were a part of a coalition that included Missouri sports teams that fought to get the issue on the ballot. So you know their organization is in favor of it. They’re likely just waiting for the best deal with the biggest bidder. Once we know who that is, we’ll write about it here so check back from time to time.
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