Licensing applications for sports betting in the state are now officially open.
By Will Underwood
Key points:
– Sports wagering is set to arrive in Missouri on 1 December 2025
– 13 licences will be made available to the state’s retail casinos and sports teams
– The licence application period is officially open, with retails fees at $250,000 and online costing double
The Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) has announced via its website that it will be officially opening the state’s sports wagering market on 1 December 2025 – and is now actively accepting licensing applications from industry participants.
As specified by the commission, its newly incepted sports wagering legislation is set to become effective as of 30 August, providing an interim period within which applications for the Missouri state sports betting market can be officially reviewed. Following on from this, the regulator has the authority to grant temporary licences prior to the opening of the market in December.
Retail sports betting licences will cost $250,000 – with online licences set to cost $500,000. Any of the state’s 13 retail casino locations will now be able to apply for a licence, alongside the six professional sports teams currently operating within Missouri. Further, two additional licences will be granted that are not reserved for any specific entity in or, indeed, outside of the state.
The beneficiaries of these two licences will be officially announced by the MGC on the 15 August, with the commission also confirming that the tax rate for sports betting will be 10%.
Good to know: Contextually, Missouri’s regulated casino market generated a revenue figure of $169.1m during April 2025 – up 9% year-on-year
Indeed, this regulatory shift in the Missouri state market has been in the works for some time, with lawmakers in the jurisdiction re-opening the debate in 2022.
More recently, in November, voters narrowly approved the practice for regulation, with subsequent delays coming in February following the Missouri Secretary of State’s office having rejection of emergency licencing rules.
