Missouri Sports Betting

Missouri Sports Betting

Missouri is a state that is rich in sports culture. The abundance of professional league teams, the love of horse racing, and the general comradery of the Mother of the West means that there is a lot that sports bettors in the state can get into. Read on to see what you can do in Missouri until sports betting is legalized.

Missouri Legal Online Sports Betting

Currently, legalized sports betting isn’t available in Missouri, unlike its neighbor Kansas which does have legal sports betting, and that doesn’t appear to be changing quickly.

There is, however, an ongoing effort to make Missouri sports betting come to fruition, but as of the close of the legislative session in May, sports betting is still illegal. However, if current hopes are to be believed, there is a chance that Missouri could legalize sports betting next year, which would mean a lot of sportsbooks popping up. These sportsbook brands are likely to include Barstool Sportsbook, BetMGM Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, Hard Rock Sportsbook, and PointsBet Sportsbook. And there are also sports betting sites like MyBookie, Bovada, BetOnline, X-Bet, and Bet US.

How To Pick A Missouri Sports Betting Site

Just because sports gambling isn’t yet legal in Missouri doesn’t mean it’s never going to happen, and you won’t need some know-how to choose a good sports betting site when traveling around the US.

It would help if you considered a few factors; the first and most important one is who is licensing the site. Missouri sports betting and gambling are regulated by the Missouri Gaming Commission, which is what you should look out for when choosing a site to play on.

History / Timeline Of Sports Betting in Missouri

Missouri officials were well prepared to start fighting for Missouri sports betting from the get-go. In preparation for abolishing the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018 by the Supreme Court, they had six initial bills drawn up; all swiftly struck down.

There was hope in 2020 when widespread support from the gambling industry and key stakeholders was thought to be enough to get the two bills working their way through the state legislature, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

Again, there was hope in April of 2022, following the success of Kansas getting SB 84 passed in their House, and the legalization of sports betting successfully getting through spurred Missouri sports betting advocates on. Still, the legislative session ended in May without passing the Missouri sports betting bill, and the Missouri lawmakers not being convinced.

However, Missouri is nothing but optimistic, and there is talk of getting Missouri sports betting legalized in 2023 with another attempt. The House has approved two pieces of legislation relating to betting on sports in the Missouri of Representatives. The measures, which would let each professional sports team have one “skin” (app), will now be put up for a vote in the Senate. Bets on sporting events might begin in the second half of 2022 in the state of Missouri if the legislation is passed and authorized by Governor Mike Parson.

There has been supported from both the political spectrum’s left and right sides. Sen. John Rizzo, a Democrat representing Kansas City, said, “It’s a little ludicrous that I can go to a casino and lose $1,000, but I can’t put $50 on the Chiefs to win.” Rizzo is referring to the fact that he is prohibited from placing a wager on the success of the Chiefs.

SB 643 was also sponsored by Republican Senator Denny Hoskins of Caldwell, representing the state of Idaho.

Although Gov Mike Parson of Missouri has not made the legalization of sports betting in the state a top priority, he has stated that he does not oppose the idea. Parson, a former law enforcement officer, has stated that before concluding, he needs to know the specifics of a sports betting bill and who will be responsible for providing regulation.

There is also another issue to take into consideration here, and that is the pressure from the public, mainly because neighboring states such as Kansas are moving on with their procedure. In contrast, states such as Illinois, Tennessee, and Iowa have already legalized it.

Missouri Sports Teams

Missouri sports betting fans have much to get involved with when picking their favorite sports team. With six major professional sports teams across the state, there are a lot of leagues and games to bet on and get excited about. The state’s NFL team is the Kansas City Chiefs, which has won two Super Bowl championships. Major League Baseball fans can support either the Kansas City Royals or the St. Louis Cardinals; soccer fans can follow Sporting Kansas City and St. Louis City SC in Major League Soccer. Then, of course, the Kansas City Current in the National Women’s Soccer League and ice hockey fans follow the St. Louis Blues, who won a Stanley Cup in the 2018/19 season.

There are a lot of Missouri teams, even beyond the professional teams loved by Missouri sports betting fans. Minor league teams, for example, cover rugby, Australian football, tennis, and more. Then all the college teams are coming out of Washington University, Saint Louis University, and more.

Retail Sports Betting in Missouri

Despite its current status as a state without legalized Missouri sports betting, The Show Me State has a range of casinos. There are 13 in the state. They don’t yet offer sports betting, but they do offer slots, poker, and often a great staycation experience.

Missouri’s three most prominent casinos are the Ameristar Kansas City, the Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St. Charles, and the River City Casino and Hotel.

The Ameristar Kansas City has almost 2,600 slot machines, 57 table games, and 15 poker tables playing everything from Sharp Shooter to No Limits Hold ’em. Enjoy the arcade when you’re done gambling or go and see a show or a gig at one of the nine food and drink venues available.

There aren’t any retail casinos in Arkansas. However, two racinos are further detailed in this guide to Missouri sports betting. However, Kansas has three retail casinos you can visit to get your sports betting fix: the Boot Hill Casino and Resort, the Kansas Crossing Hotel and Casino, and the Kansas Star Casino. However, sports betting is very new in Kansas, so the sportsbooks haven’t entirely been rolled out in these venues yet.

However, Illinois and Iowa have had sports betting well and genuinely engrained into their cultures. So those are your best options if you’re looking for somewhere to visit where you can indulge in some Missouri sports betting.

Illinois has nine retail casinos to choose from, including two riverboat casinos. Casinos that allow sports betting on the venue include The Hollywood Casino Joliet and the Argosy Casino Alton, which uses the Barstool Sportsbook, the Rivers Casino Des Plaines Chicago, which operates the BetRivers Sportsbook, the Grand Victoria Casino Elgin, and Harrah’s Joliet Casino, which uses the Caesars Sportsbook, and the Casino Queen Hotel St. Louis, which uses the DraftKings sportsbook.

There are 15 casinos in Iowa, including the Ameristar Council Bluffs boat casino, which offers sports betting via the Barstool Sportsbook. The only Iowa casinos that do not provide a sportsbook to bet on are the Casino Queen Marquette, the Hard Rock Hotel, and Casino Sioux City. But the rest of the other 13 casinos in Iowa offer everything from football (American or soccer) to tennis, roller derby, basketball, and baseball. Sportsbooks include the Caesars sportsbook, the Barstool sportsbook, the DraftKings sportsbook, the Elite Sportsbook, and more.

Tribal Casinos

There isn’t a tribal casino presence in Missouri, so, as with retail Missouri sports betting, you’ll have to visit neighboring states to fix your sports betting. There also are no tribal casinos in Arkansas and Illinois, so your best bets are Kansas and Iowa, where sports betting is legal.

However, sports betting is newly legal in Kansas, so you might have to research what casinos have sports betting options – and unfortunately, with sports betting only legalized this month, there don’t appear to be any tribal casinos offering sports betting as yet. But, no doubt, licenses will be handed out by this time, and sportsbooks might become available in these venues.

In the meantime, Iowa has four casinos that don’t have the option of sports betting. This is probably because tribal casinos operate under different laws. However, since the legalization of sports betting in Iowa in 2020, tribal casino owners have expressed their intention to also get into sports betting but have simply been delayed by the pandemic. Keep an eye out for updates in either of these states for a weekend away from Missouri sports betting.

Daily Fantasy Sports

Daily fantasy sports have always occupied a grey area in Missouri sports betting and sports betting nationwide. However, because it is a concept as new as the internet, the idea was swept under the umbrella term of “sports betting” and deemed illegal even though it is considered a game of skill, as opposed to a game of chance.

However, today Missouri sports betting fans can enjoy their fantasy sports betting with the knowledge that it is considered legal behind them. In addition, the three biggest DFS operators, FanDuel, DraftKings, and Fantasy Draft are all in operation in Missouri, so Missouri sports betting fans can indulge in the fantasy element at least.

Offshore Sports Betting

Offshore sports betting is legal, but it is not advised. Offshore sports betting sites are not held to the same standard as US-regulated operators, so your money is more at risk. Given the lack of sports betting legislation in Missouri when picking a Missouri Sportsbook for sports wagering, your only option right now is offshore sportsbooks.

If you use offshore sports betting sites, make sure that they are at least authorized by one of the two US-approved authorities: the Costa Rica Gaming Authority or the Curacao Gaming Authorities. These are the safest options, but even with these regulators. You won’t have the protection of the US should you lose your money unfairly on an offshore site.

Missouri Horse Racing & Off-Track Betting

The one exception to the blanket ban on Missouri sports betting and, indeed sports betting across the country is horseracing. Many historic “racinos” have opened across the country long before the idea of legalizing sports betting was put on the table.

However, Missouri is sadly empty of such fun venues. If you want to indulge in some Missouri sports betting on the horses, you’d have to visit Kansas, Arkansas, or Iowa.

Iowa has two racinos: the quarter-mile Q Casino and Hotel and the 1-mile-long Prairie Meadows. The Q Casino and Hotel offers the Q Sportsbook, where you can bet on everything from football to auto racing, and Prairie Meadows holds the Caesars sportsbook, where you can bet on MMA, soccer, tennis, and loads more.

Arkansas has two racinos: Oaklawn Racing, which has its sportsbook, and Southland, which hasn’t got a sportsbook but does offer greyhound racing and horseracing.

The racino in Kansas, the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway, offers only horseracing but is still a good chance for sports betting fans to indulge.

Final Thoughts / Summary

Missouri fans might need to travel to indulge in sports betting, but it is worth it. Its place on the US map with many state neighbors offers many opportunities to combine travel and sports betting and maybe even see a game.

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About Joe Kizlauskas

Joe is a seasoned iGaming copywriter and speaker who has been in the business since 2015. He's written more words on all elements of Casinos, Slots, Bingo & Sports Betting than he likes to remember, and he's contributed material to a number of well-known brands. Joe may be seen playing 5 a side, at the gym or playing games on his Playstation when he is not writing.