Missouri Poised for December 1st Sports Betting Launch Date

Despite attempts to roll out the Show Me State’s sports betting launch in time for the NFL and college football seasons, the reality is that it won’t happen until December 1st of this year.

Better Late Than Never

The Missouri Gaming Commission recently opened the application window for sportsbook licenses, which is just the first step to becoming a fully licensed vendor in the state’s nascent mobile sports betting industry. There are several hurdles to climb before getting licensed, and undergoing a thorough vetting process is chief among them.

“August 30th is the date for the licensing rules to become effective, but after that, there is still a process for review and background of applicants before licenses can be issued and sports wagering can go live,” the spokesperson said. “The launch date will be Dec. 1st.”

The two most coveted licenses are those that are untethered, which means a sportsbook will not be forced to partner with an existing gaming facility and can thus avoid splitting part of the profits. The application deadline for those licenses is July 15th, versus September 12th for tethered licenses, with hearings scheduled on August 13th before the successful applicants are announced on August 15th.

It would appear the two industry behemoths, FanDuel and DraftKings, would have an inside track on those licenses, considering they each contributed millions of dollars to the Winning for Missouri Education PAC that was responsible for getting 180,000 verified signatures on its petition, which placed the sports betting question on the ballot. That measure narrowly passed, which is why sports betting has become law in the Show Me State.

“We’ve structured the application timeline to ensure a smooth launch by our constitutional deadline,” a Commission spokesperson explained. “This approach gives operators adequate preparation time while maintaining our regulatory responsibilities.”

The Man Who Delayed Sports Betting

Former state senator and current Secretary of State Denny Hoskins is the bane of the sports betting industry in Missouri. Ironically, Hoskins has nothing against sports betting and even proposed his own bill to get it passed. However, the fly in the ointment was Hoskins’ insistence that any sports betting bill must be tied to getting VLTs (video lottery terminals) legalized as well.

That was a bridge too far for many Missouri lawmakers who are supported by the casino operators, who adamantly oppose legalizing the thousands of gray machines dotting the landscape in truck stops, barrooms, convenience stores, and just about any other retail establishment where a second revenue stream is welcome.

Hoskins was sworn in as the new Secretary of State this year, and when he was asked to invoke emergency rules that would have allowed the sports betting industry to launch in time for the most lucrative season on the calendar, football, he did not hesitate to rebuff those pleas.

Hoskins stated afterward, “The standard rulemaking process is more than capable of achieving the desired outcome within the necessary time frame. In fact, under the proper procedure, the proposed rules could be effective by Sept. 30, 2025, well ahead of the December 1 deadline. This confirms that there is no legitimate justification for bypassing the standard rulemaking process, which is designed to give the public the chance to weigh in on decisions that affect them.”