While the entire nation focused on the 2024 Presidential election process on November 5th, voters in the state of Missouri quietly passed Amendment 2, ushering in domestic sports betting.
A simple majority was required for passage. Amendment 2 was passed by a margin of 7,486 yeas, representing less than 0.1% of those participating. Over $14 million was spent opposing the amendment, but those efforts were dwarfed by the money invested by outside vendors hoping to make a stake in the market.
MO’s professional sports teams joined sportsbook operators in their endeavors. The Chiefs, Cardinals, Royals, and Blues were all vocal and monetary supporters of Amendment 2.
Legal sports betting in Missouri is mandated to begin by December 1, 2025. Lawmakers hope sportsbooks will debut before the beginning of the next NFL season in September.
All 13 casinos in the state will be granted a sportsbook license. Up to 22 online/mobile sportsbook licenses are also available to be applied for.
Missouri Casinos
- Ameristar Casino Resort Spa – St. Charles
- Ameristar Casino Hotel – Kansas City
- Argosy Casino Hotel & Spa – Riverside
- Bally’s Kansas City – Kansas City
- Century Casino Cape Girardeau – Cape Girardeau
- Century Casino Caruthersville – Caruthersville
- Harrah’s North Kansas City – North Kansas City
- Hollywood Casino St. Louis – Maryland Heights
- Isle of Capri Casino Hotel – Boonville
- Horseshoe St. Louis – Downtown St. Louis
- Mark Twain Casino – La Grange
- River City Casino & Hotel – Lemay
- St. Jo Frontier Casino – St. Joseph
Retail sportsbooks will also be offered in local stadiums and professional sports arenas. In the future, sports gambling will occur at Arrowhead Stadium (the Kansas City Chiefs), Kauffman Stadium (the Kansas City Royals), Busch Stadium (the St. Louis Cardinals), and the Enterprise Center (the St. Louis Blues).
These pro franchises can also create branded sports betting apps allowing mobile device wagering.
This makes MO the 39th state in the USA to regulate local sports betting. Here are the remaining US states that have yet to legalize domestic sportsbooks:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- California
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Minnesota
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Utah
The presence of neighboring sports betting states and offshore sportsbook sites has caused the rapid expansion of sports gambling in the USA. Once legislators begin tracking the dollars being spent out of state, moves are made to try and recapture that revenue.
Due to their unique geographical situation, Alaska and Hawaii do not share a border with any legal sports betting states. Utah’s strict anti-gambling stance could loosen now that the NHL has added a presence in the state, but no serious moves have been made to date.
Sources:
Entertainment
Betting On The Voice Finale: Will Sofronio Vasquez Win?
Entertainment
Bet On Beyoncé’s Christmas Halftime Show On Black Friday
