Missouri Gaming Regulators ‘Keenly Aware’ of Sports Betting Launch Interest

• Missouri Gaming Commission Chairman Jan M. Zimmerman gave an update on the state’s sports betting launch
• The staff is “keenly aware” of Missouri sports betting interest
• Doing everything in power to launch before Dec. 1 deadline

---

Missouri gaming regulators know you want sports betting and they’re doing everything in their power to launch prior to the Dec. 1, 2025, deadline.

Missouri Gaming Commission Chairman Jan M. Zimmerman told Sports Betting Dime the commission is expecting to receive its Missouri sports betting rules from the governor’s office on May 13 and open up its sports betting license application window on May 14 through Aug. 30.

“The staff is keenly aware of how anxious people are to get sports wagering up and running in the state. They’re doing everything in their power to do so,” Zimmerman told Sports Betting Dime.

Roadmap to Missouri Launch

The Missouri Gaming Commission submitted its sports betting rules to Gov. Mike Kehoe’s (R) office two weeks ago after a public comment period on the proposed rules closed with no responses. The commission is expecting to receive its sports betting rules back from the governor’s office on Tuesday, May 13, present the rules to the commission on the same day, and open up the sports betting license application window on May 14.

The final sports betting rules will be published and incorporated into the Missouri Code of State Regulations, with an expected effective date of Aug. 30.

The Missouri Gaming Commission will review all sports betting operator license applications after the Aug. 30 deadline. Any operator planning to apply for one of two available untethered online sports betting licenses will have to submit an application to the commission by Sept. 2. Any operator who wishes to present their application for an untethered license to the Missouri Gaming Commission will have to do so on Sept. 23.

In total, the state can see 19 retail sports betting licenses and 21 online sports betting licenses under the approved framework. The expectation is that the industry’s biggest names, such as FanDuel Missouri and DraftKings Missouri, will be among that 21.

The commission will award all licenses at once, not on a rolling basis, Zimmerman said.

“We have to issue all licenses simultaneously. Nobody gets announced or awarded before anyone else. In a perfect world, all applicants will get us their correct information on the first try, but we know this won’t happen. We will be waiting until even the very last applicant submits their correct information. We can’t issue a license one day and then issue another a few days later,” she said.

The deadline to launch Missouri sports betting is Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, and Zimmerman told Sports Betting Dime everything is being done to launch as soon as possible before the deadline.

“I always take the opportunity to thank everything for their hard work and for doing everything in their power to get this done before Dec. 1,” she said.

Sports Betting Partnerships Rounding into Shape

Sports betting operators can access the Missouri market through an untethered license or entering into a partnership with one of the state’s six professional sports franchises or one of the 13 brick-and-mortar casinos.

bet365 and the St. Louis Cardinals entered into a sports betting partnership in March. The multi-year partnership will provide the sports betting operator with access to the yet-to-be-launched Missouri sports betting market.

Additionally, an Underdog Fantasy representative confirmed with Sports Betting Dime that the company will also be applying for a license. If approved, Underdog Fantasy would hold four live sports betting licenses across the U.S.

BetMGM also confirmed with Sports Betting Dime it will pursue access to a license, but how it enters the market is unknown. the sports betting operator has yet to settle on a market access partner, despite still having a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs to be an official sports betting partner of the NFL franchise.

DraftKings and FanDuel will also undoubtedly pursue licenses, though their access plans have yet to be revealed. The sports betting behemoths donated millions to the campaign to place the successful sports betting voting referendum on the 2024 election ballot.