Missouri Sports Betting License Applications to Open in Two Months

In February, voters in the state of Missouri narrowly greenlit sports betting. While experts predicted that the actual launch would experience certain delays, the Missouri Gaming Commission said that it hopes to open license applications in two months.

Gaming Commission Says Licensing Applications Will Open Soon

The commission said that if everything goes according to plan, it should start accepting license applications for sportsbooks by May 15. According to a notice on its official website, the licensing period should run from that date until August 30, providing the commission with ample time to review all applications.

The notice on the MGC’s site reads:

The commission intends to work with our stakeholders to make license applications available on May 15 so that interested parties can start the process gathering the necessary documents to complete their applications. Our licensing rules are scheduled to become effective August 30, so this interim period from May 15 to August 30 will help ensure that the commission has time to properly review applications before decisions are made and temporary licenses are issued. With this timeline, sports wagering will go live by the constitutionally required start date of December 1, 2025.

MGC statement

The message makes it clear that Missourians can look forward to getting to place their first bets on December 1 at the latest.

In the meantime, industry stakeholders interested in operating sportsbooks in Missouri should start preparing the necessary documentation to file their applications.

Missouri Is Finally Joining the Community of Betting States

As mentioned, Missouri voted to approve sports betting last month, setting it up to become a part of the wider community of US states with functional markets. The legalization was intensely promoted by local sports franchises, such as the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals.

However, an early launch was ruled out when the Missouri Secretary of State’s office rejected emergency licensing rules. In response to that, the MGC said that the rejection of emergency rules would push its timeline back months.

For context, Missouri is taxing sportsbooks at 10%. According to earlier announcements, there will be two untethered sportsbook licenses along with 13 riverboat casinos and six professional teams all eligible for licensing and running betting.

Missouri Proposed Changing No-Chance Machines with VLTs

In other news, Missouri proposed replacing the notorious “no-chance machines,” which have proliferated across the state, with video lottery terminals. No-chance machines are a type of gaming device that incorporates a number of different outcomes instead of a random number generator.  

The proposal called for VLTs to be regulated by the MGC. The proposal also called for a higher but less frequent fee.