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Ever since the federal government removed the ban on sports gambling in 2018, we’ve seen a consistent trend in every state that launched legalized betting on sports: growth, growth, and more growth.
This was obvious in year one, but even in the follow-up years. Many states saw constant double-digit months and years of growth. So you would sort of expect the same with the latest state to legalize, Missouri.
But…. Missouri sports betting is off to a pretty muted start. We now have multiple months of official data since the state legalized it in December, and it’s quite underwhelming. Keep on reading, and we’ll bring you up to speed with the state of the brand-new industry in the Show Me State.
Super Bowl Goes Bust
This past Super Bowl was a rare one NOT to feature the Kansas City Chiefs. From 2020 to 2025, the Chiefs were involved in every “big game” besides one (and that exception, they made the AFC Championship). But in 2026, Kansas City didn’t even make the playoffs.
So perhaps that explains why February was such a disappointing month of sports betting in Missouri. Get this, sportsbooks in the state took in a mere $276 million worth of bets in February. This is down 28 percent from January and worse, a drop of almost 50 percent from the launch month in December.
Mind you, Super Bowl betting is usually a boom to most periods. No one day event draws as much betting interest in America as the NFL title game. Obviously, that did not rub off at all in Missouri.
And while it’s true, there was less Super Bowl betting this year than in the past. Many states reported 10 percent declines in activity for the Patriots and Seahawks game. You would still think the “newness” of legal betting would help Missouri’s case here, but nope, no cigar. We have some theories on why later in this article, but first, let’s look at the first three months on record in Missouri.
First 3 Months Of Betting Trend Down
Missouri has now posted three straight months of negative growth for its nascent industry. Let’s dig into the numbers. Here’s each of the opening three months, listed in order — handle, revenue, and hold.
- December: $542M | $104M | 19.2%
- January: $383M | $53.3M | 13.9%
- February: $276M | $30.7 M | 11.1%
Taken together, the state has done a total handle of $1.20 billion. Of that money, $188 million became gross revenue, which is a hair above a 15 percent hold.
That’s ok, but you also have to remember top sports betting apps busted out massive free-play promotions to lure in new customers. There was $170 million worth of free bets used during this three-month span. Without that spend, the state would’ve done only a billion worth of betting in three months.
If there is one glimmer of hope for Missouri, it’s that there is one precedent for this. The state of Ohio — which is now a top-grossing sports betting market — started off slow, too. The state lost a $100 million in its first month due to massive free-play spend. Then again, that was a one-month outlier, not three months of declines… but perhaps that too can be explained.
Why Missouri Sports Betting Has Struggled
Let’s cut to the chase: what is behind the struggles? The most obvious reason is timing. Missouri betting went live in December, missing most of the NFL regular season by then. Even worse, Patrick Mahomes ended up tearing his ACL one week after the launch date, eliminating the Chiefs from playoff contention.
The reality is, from state to state, NFL betting drives this entire industry. It produces the highest handle, the most casual bettors, and the biggest moments. When a state launches during peak NFL months, you get a flood of activity right away that can carry over into slower months like right now. Missouri didn’t get that, unfortunately.
After the Super Bowl, betting activity switches to basketball. That’s an issue because there’s no pro NBA team in Kansas City or St. Louis. Though the state does have a college team in Missouri. Then again, they had a middling season. Missouri made March Madness, but were bounced in the opening game by Miami. We don’t have official numbers on March, but it might’ve been another down month.
There’s also the simple reality of habit-building. Betting isn’t something people just jump into overnight. Even with heavy promotions, it takes time for users to download apps, fund accounts, and make it part of their routine. And for all we know, Missouri bettors did to that, but with prediction markets and offshore sportsbooks, which they’ve stuck to rather than using legalized options.
Not to mention, Missouri locals weren’t necessarily over the moon itching to bet. Remember, the vote to legalize betting barely passed in the state during November 2024. The margin of victory wasn’t even 1 percent, so you’d think many folks still want no part of the industry now that it’s legal.
Put it all together, and the slow start makes a lot more sense. Bad timing, no NFL momentum, no NBA backbone, and a brand-new user base still figuring things out. The real test for Missouri won’t be these first three months, though — it’ll be how things look once football comes back in September.
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