The Missouri Gaming Commission gave nine temporary online sports betting licences. The state has waited for this moment for many years. BetMGM, bet365, Caesars Sportsbook, Circa Sports, DraftKings, ESPN BET, Fanatics Sportsbook, FanDuel, and Underdog got approval. They are preparing for the December launch now. Legal sports betting starts at midnight on 1 December in the Show Me State. Years of debate and legislative work finally end with this announcement.

All nine companies got temporary licences. Major operators can start preparing for launch immediately. DraftKings and Circa Sports got untethered online licences earlier this year. They operate without needing any in-state casino or professional sports team. Seven other operators needed tethered licences. They partnered with Missouri entities to enter the market.

BetMGM partnered with Century Casinos in May. bet365 made a market access agreement with the St. Louis Cardinals in March. FanDuel works with MLS franchise St. Louis City SC. Fanatics Sportsbook chose Boyd Gaming as its partner. ESPN Bet and Caesars Sportsbook use their parent companies’ casino holdings. These include Hollywood Casino, River City Casino, Harrah’s Kansas City, and Horseshoe St. Louis. Underdog made a deal with the Kansas City Royals.

Missouri Keeps Building Betting Framework

Several regulatory steps must happen before betting starts. Operators can open user account registration and funding from midnight on 17 November. All processes must follow state regulations. The Missouri Gaming Commission implemented sports betting rules on 30 November. The market opens one day after this date. Operators must submit amendments to internal controls or house rules before that date.

MGC can issue up to 19 retail sports betting licences and 14 online licences eventually. The commission might choose to do this later. MGC has not said if this will happen. Issuing all 14 online licences would create thin margins after tax and financial obligations. Operators probably won’t attract many bettors from other states.