Is Online Sports Betting Legal In Missouri
Legislators came out aggressively trying to legalize Missouri sports betting in 2020 but the Show-Me State will have to wait until next year at least.
A special committee convened to look at the topic in October and bills were pre-filed before the year even started. A half dozenbills to legalize sports betting in Missouri were introduced by the time the session got going.
- Missouri Sports Betting Takes Shape in 2021 With 3 New Bills. Missouri lawmakers pre-filled three bills to permit the state’s first-ever legal retail and online sportsbooks in 2021, setting up the fourth-consecutive year sports betting legislation will be considered in the legislature.
- Possible Sportsbook Options in Missouri While sports betting is not even legal yet, it is clear that legislatures are pushing for expanded online sports betting. This means that several of our top-rated sportsbooks will be vying for licenses in Missouri.
MO does not have a state-licensed online gambling environment as of yet. However, the gambling laws in Missouri do not address online gambling at licensed offshore venues, which remain legal to use for all Missouri players aged 18 and up. Missouri is one of the few states that have legalized Daily Fantasy Sports, which they approved in 2016. Though bets can’t be placed on the revered high school and college football games, they can get in on the action by betting the NFL and other professional sports.
While the differing bills showed that there were still some issues to be worked out, one of them was expected to reach the finish line. Legal Sports Report pegged Missouri as one of five states most likely to legalize sports betting in 2020 but the COVID-19 pandemic changed many plans.
Missourians do have the option to place wagers using the DraftKings app when visiting Illinois. The app is available for download and registration can be completed anywhere within Illinois’ borders. An executive order allows registration anywhere in the state through Sept. 19; in-person registration at the state’s casinos could return after that date.
The future of Missouri sports betting
With how much attention legislators are paying to sports betting in Missouri, the state again will be a favorite to pass legislation in 2021.
First lawmakers need to work out some key differences on their bills. The main point of contention is whether to limit sports betting to the state’s riverboat casinos or also permit the Missouri Lottery Commission to to offer games based on the outcomes of sporting events.
Another proposal allowed sports betting in the entertainment areas around Busch Stadium, where the St. Louis Cardinals play, and adjacent to Sprint Center.
Some of the bills proposed in 2020 also tried to tie sports betting to a controversial issue in Missouri regarding sanctioning the Lottery Commission to implement a system of video lottery terminals at bars, truck stops, and entertainment districts around the state. Missouri sports betting could stand a better chance as a standalone bill.
Other details that need to be hashed out include whether or not to include an official league data mandate and the tax rate. The legislature at least made one advancement during the 2020 session, figuring out that bills shouldn’t give the leagues both an integrity fee and official league data.
When will online sports betting launch in Missouri?
When MO sports betting is legalized, mobile wagering is expected to be part of it. Legislation considered in 2020 permitted interactive wagering platforms to be tethered to the excursion gambling boats.
All of the most successful sports betting markets post-PASPA allow for mobile sports wagering. It’s particularly important to allow statewide access to online platforms in Missouri, as some Missourians live up to four hours from the closest riverboat casino.
How many skins, or brands, to allow is under debate in the legislature. Some bills limited skins to one, while one bill allowed up to three online platforms per licensee.
