Missouri Expected to Run Little Late with Sports Betting Launch

Missouri’s voters have won a narrow victory over the legalization of sports betting during the November ballot. However, they will not gain access to sports betting options immediately, but how long the process will be delayed is yet unclear.

Missouri Have to Wait Until Sports Betting Launches

The latest delay comes at a time when sports fans are eager to bet on some of the most popular franchises in the state, such as the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals. Despite the strong momentum in favor of the matter, the Missouri Secretary of State’s office has dashed hopes for an early launch by rejecting emergency licensing rules.

Emergency licensing rules would have allowed for an ad-hoc framework that could have effectively allowed the state to launch more quickly and hammer out the details later.

The admin, however, has taken a dim view of that, arguing that such an approach would add to the red tape and make it more difficult to police the industry.

In a statement, the Missouri Gaming Commission explained the difficulties that this decision created: “in the absence of emergency rules, our timeline is being pushed back months.” What this means is that sports betting won’t launch in the Show-Me-State over the summer, but hardly all is lost.

Sports Betting Coming to The Show-Me-State by the End of 2025

The watchdog expects the currently proposed licensing rules to be adopted and come into effect by August 30, 2025. A fully-fledged launch for sports betting could follow as early as December 1, 2025, with the Missouri Gaming Commission vowing to make it happen.

This is the first update since November when the state’s voters backed the ballot issue. The original estimates had hoped to see sports betting launch in earnest in early 2025, but those expectations have now been dashed.

Missouri is bringing a whole arsenal of tools which will seek to ensure that sports betting regulation is done well. The state is taxing sportsbooks at 10% and there will be two untethered sportsbook licenses along with 13 riverboat casinos and six professional teams all eligible for licensing and running these operations.