Missouri Gaming Chairman: Sports Betting May Launch Sooner Than Anticipated

• According to Missouri Gaming Commission Chairman Jan Zimmerman, sports betting may launch sooner than anticipated
• Zimmerman originally estimated online sports betting would launch in mid-to-late summer
• Zimmerman told Sports Betting Dime that sports betting has a chance to launch in the early summer of 2025

Legal Missouri sports betting apps are already off to an accelerated start in 2025.

Missouri Gaming Commission Chairman Jan M. Zimmerman today spoke with Sports Betting Dime and reported the emergency rules process is moving quicker than anticipated, which may potentially allow the state to launch online sports betting earlier than expected.

“Depending on how quickly the process goes with getting the rules to the Governor’s office, getting them signed, getting everything to the Attorney General’s Office, we could be looking at earlier in the summer than we anticipated,” she said.

Working to Get Rules in Place

Zimmerman spoke with Sports Betting Dime late this afternoon after a meeting with Missouri Gaming Commission Executive Director Michael Leara. According to Zimmerman, Leara believes the emergency regulations for sports betting in the state could be sent to the Governor’s office by the end of this month, far earlier than expected.

The emergency regulations will have to be signed by the next Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) and also approved by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. If all goes well, the emergency sports betting regulations could be in place by mid-February, which would allow the gaming commission to begin the license petition process, Zimmerman said.

This is much earlier than expected, she reported. The state will have to undergo an extensive background checks for potential license holders and their employees, which is a lengthy process.

If everything goes smoothly, however, the Missouri Gaming Commission could potentially approve a sports betting launch date during their May 28, 2025, or June 25, 2025, commission meetings.

“We’re still talking several months down the road,” she said.

The Missouri Gaming Commission has had the advantage of surveying and discussing regulations and rules with other states that have approved sports betting to not “reinvent the wheel” when it comes to launching their own program, Zimmerman said, which has quickened the process.

Missouri must launch sports betting by Dec. 1, 2025, at the latest.

“The Missouri Gaming Commission is working feverishly to get the rules on the books,” Zimmerman told Sports Betting Dime.

Missouri Sports Betting Details

The approval of the sports betting amendment will allow each professional Missouri sports franchise and land-based casino to  be eligible for one retail sports betting license and one online sports betting license each. Each individual team and casino will also be able to partner with up to one online sports betting operator.

In total, the state can see 19 retail sports betting licenses and 21 online sports betting licenses under this framework.

The next meeting of the Missouri Gaming Commission is scheduled for Jan. 15 in Jefferson City, MO.