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Read Full BioMissouri became the 39th state to offer legal sports betting today as eight sportsbooks became available for bettors in the state. Voters approved legal online sports betting in a referendum in November 2024.
The licensed operators include:
- bet365
- BetMGM
- Caesars
- Circa Sports
- DraftKings
- theScore Bet (replacing ESPN Bet)
- Fanatics
- FanDuel
Underdog Sports withdrew its license application at the last minute, despite signing deals with the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals ahead of the launch. The company is instead focusing on prediction markets, having signed a deal with Crypto.com.
DraftKings and Circa Sports secured the two untethered licenses, while other operators have partnered with the state’s sports teams or casinos to launch their operations.
FanDuel Optimistic Despite Untethered License Rejection
The newly formed Missouri Gaming Commission surprisingly rejected FanDuel’s application for an untethered license, forcing the company to make a deal with MLS side St. Louis City. As one of the two leading sportsbooks in the US, FanDuel expected to be given preference over Circa Sports.
Nevertheless, the company was enthusiastic about the launch. In a press release, Karol Corcoran, Managing Director, Sportsbook at FanDuel, stated, “Introducing FanDuel to sports fans in Missouri is a huge moment for our business, and we look forward to bringing the passionate fans across the state the experience of America’s #1 Sportsbook.”
The company markets the launch with donations of $600,000 to Missouri charities supporting veterans and first responders.
PENN Launches With theScore Bet, As ESPN Bet Closes
PENN Entertainment had been expected to go live with ESPN Bet through the casinos it operates in the state, but it ended its agreement with ESPN and has shifted sportsbook operations in the US to theScore Bet.
ESPN Bet officially closed on the same day as Missouri sports betting went live. PENN CEO Jay Snowden said he expects a seamless transition between the brands, with much less disruption than customers experienced when the company switched from Barstool Sports to ESPN Bet.
Snowden commented, “We had put our customers through a lot of hoops to jump, and we had a new technology stack. We were down for several days. We asked them to come back in and re-register and redeposit. A lot was going on that created noise, in addition to the brand change.”
ESPN, meanwhile, will partner with DraftKings, integrating the sportsbook’s odds into its websites and sports coverage. ESPN and DraftKings have been optimistic about the potential of the partnership.
Missouri Sports Stars Help Launch Sportsbooks
Other sportsbooks going live marked the launch with some of Missouri’s sports stars. Fanatics Sportsbook opened retail books at both Ameristar Casino properties, where retired MLB and NHL stars Alex Gordon and Patrick Maroon placed the first wagers.
Caesars Sportsbook, meanwhile, staged its own ceremonies featuring Chiefs legends Christian Okoye and Trent Green at multiple casinos. The company embraced the launch despite contributing to a campaign opposing legalization.
Caesars donated $4 million to the Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment, viewing legal sports betting as a threat to its casino revenue.
FanDuel and DraftKings, meanwhile, joined a coalition with six of Missouri’s sports teams, which raised $10 million for efforts to persuade the public to vote in favor of legalization.
Prediction Markets May Make Legalization Meaningless
The campaign efforts of DraftKings and FanDuel helped push Missourians to vote in favor of legalization; however, since then, both companies have transitioned into prediction markets. FanDuel Predicts and DraftKings Predictions will go live in many states this month.
The possibility of offering sports betting in all 50 states, even those that have not formally legalized, may mean the end to multi-million dollar campaigns for legalization.
While Underdog has withdrawn from Missouri to concentrate on prediction markets, DraftKings and FanDuel have both pulled out of Nevada. Before the official launch of sports betting, Missouri residents could already place wagers on sports at several prediction market platforms.
Officially, at least, there are now 39 states with legal sports betting. The rise of prediction markets could lead this figure to increase, or it could make the whole legalization process meaningless as bettors find new ways to wager on sports.
