Missouri Braces for the Launch of Sports Betting on December 1

In 2018, the USA repealed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA), paving the way for regulated sports betting in America. Since then, dozens of states have tapped into the opportunities offered by the industry, with Missouri being in line to launch its own market next.

As the launch of regulated betting in the Show-Me State looms, fans and industry stakeholders alike continue to await it with bated breath.

Creating the Ruleset Was a Challenge

Missouri sports betting is set to launch on December 1, ushering in a new era for sports fans in the state. As the date steadily approaches, Gaming Commission chairman Jan Zimmerman spoke with Missourinet on the matter. In his interview with the local news outlet, Zimmerman shared some behind-the-scenes information, as well as projections for the revenue betting will generate.

The commission chair admitted that the biggest hurdle to regulating sports betting in Missouri has been creating the regulatory framework. His team had to write the gaming rules from scratch, while taking a variety of factors into mind. He said that his team had started to jokingly call the Gaming Commission’s conference room “the war room” after spending hours upon hours discussing sports betting regulation.

Missouri Will Issue Temporary Licenses in Advance

As of the time of this writing, players in Missouri are still unable to place legal bets. However, Zimmerman and his team are already working on arming sportsbooks with temporary licenses ahead of the launch date. In his interview with Missourinet, Zimmerman said that he wished for sportsbooks to be able to make sure that their products work.

And so those temporary licenses issued to those suppliers in advance of December 1st means that you know they already know, you know that it’s going to work when we go live.

Jan Zimmerman, chair, Missouri Gaming Commission

When asked about his predictions about sports betting’s potential economic impact, Zimmerman said that predictions range widely. However, he said that the $28 million figure seems “the most reasonable” one so far, at least to him.

Considering that the launch of sports betting will come amid the ongoing football season, the actual impact will likely remain uncertain, probably for a year, Zimmerman said.

In other news, industry critics recently expressed worries that gambling-related harms will increase once betting launches.