Missouri Online Sports Betting Launches on Dec. 1: How Did We Get Here?
By Paul Costanzo in Video
Published:
The biggest question surrounding Missouri sports betting has been answered: It will launch on Dec. 1, 2025.
There are plenty of questions still being asked, such as which betting apps will be available in Missouri, and what bonuses will they have to offer Show-Me State bettors.
But today I wanted to know how we got here and what waiting until the latest date possible means for Missouri bettors and the state’s tax coffers, so I asked SBD regulatory reporter Robert Linnehan.
Online Sports Betting in Missouri Key Details
Voters in Missouri narrowly approved Amendment 2 in November 2024 to legalize sports betting in the Show-Me State and, more than a year later on Dec. 1, 2025, it will finally launch.
Here are some of the key details we know for the upcoming launch of Missouri sports betting apps:
- Missouri Sports Betting Launch Date: Dec. 1, 2025
- Regulatory Agency: Missouri Gaming Commission
- Number of Online Sports Betting Licenses: Up to 14
- Number of Retail Sports Betting Licenses: Up to 19
- Sportsbooks Expected at Launch: DraftKings Missouri, FanDuel Missouri, BetMGM Missouri, bet365 Missouri, Fanatics Sportsbook Missouri, Caesars Sportsbook Missouri, ESPN Bet Missouri, Underdog Missouri
Why Was Dec. 1 Set As the Missouri Sports Betting Launch Date?
Linnehan broke the news that Missouri will launch online sports betting on Dec. 1. It’s the absolute last day it can launch, as stated in the amendment passed by the people on election day.
Why are they cutting it so close? Regulatory red tape and delays put in place by Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins are the biggest reasons. Hoskins denied the MGC’s proposed emergency sports betting rules and regulations, ending all hope for a late summer launch.
Still, there was hope that late October or even November could be in the mix. That hope ended, however, when a timeline was put in place.
What Can You Bet on in Missouri on Dec. 1?
Dec. 1, 2025, is a Monday, which means the first big event you can bet on Missouri will be the Week 13 Monday Night Football game between the New York Giants and New England Patriots. Not exactly the most highly anticipated matchup. Seriously, how did this land on Monday Night Football?
Anyway, Week 14 will be right around the corner after launch, meaning the first opportunity to bet on the Kansas City Chiefs will be when they play the Houston Texans Dec. 7 on Sunday Night Football. Week 14 also includes Cowboys at Lions, Steelers at Ravens and Bengals at Bills, so there will be some good betting opportunities.
That first weekend will also include college football conference championship games.
The 2025-26 NHL schedule isn’t out, but you can expect the St. Louis Blues to be in action that week, as well as several early-season NBA and college basketball games.
It’s hard to ignore, however, what Missouri bettors will miss out on: the first 13 weeks of the NFL season, the entirety of the college football regular season and the World Series stand out most. As Linnehan said in the above video, that’s potentially millions of dollars in tax revenue the state will not collect, thanks to the late launch.
Evergreen Writer/Editor; Sportsbook Expert
With nearly two decades of experience in sports media, Paul Costanzo turned his professional attention to sports betting and online gambling in January of 2022. He's covered every angle of the industry since then, managing and creating content for PlayMichigan and The Sporting News, and now SBD.
