Missouri Gaming Commission Opens Window for Sports Betting Operator Applications
The Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) has announced that it will start taking applications for sports betting licenses on Thursday, paving the way for the opening of legal sportsbooks within the state.
The move came after the commission voted unanimously in favor of a final rulemaking resolution in a special meeting on Tuesday. The resolution had received advance clearance and vetting from Governor Mike Kehoe's office.
This regulatory release comes after voters narrowly passed a constitutional amendment last November to legalize sports betting statewide. As one condition of the amendment, the government of Missouri had to implement and operationalize sports betting by Dec. 1, 2025. The MGC has outlined a licensing and regulatory framework to meet this deadline.
Two mobile sports betting licenses, known as Direct Mobile Licenses, are being granted first and will be highly sought after by the best sports betting sites. These licenses are not limited to any current land-based casino business, and these pre-approved operators will be permitted to offer sports betting directly over mobile platforms.
Applications for these licenses must be submitted by July 15 of this year. The commission's schedule shows that these applicants will be heard on Aug. 13 and that the selected licensees will be disclosed two days later, on August 15.
Retail and tethered mobile sports betting licenses will be issued on a slightly slower schedule. The deadline for applications for any operator that wishes to begin offering services by the Dec. 1 opening date is Sept. 12. This category includes sportsbook operators that intend to partner with existing Missouri casinos for in-person or mobile betting.
Final rules still in formation
Despite efforts to move the deadline earlier, the MGC faced early pushback to its emergency rules submitted. In February, State Secretary Denny Hoskins, who once opposed sports betting as a state senator, rejected an emergency rules petition to permit quicker rollout of sports betting.
The state regulations governing Missouri's sports betting market take effect on August 30. But the MGC is getting ahead of things by warning aspiring operators to begin collecting and providing their data before then. The idea is to streamline the review and approval process as much as possible so operators will be active by the deadline mandated by the constitutional amendment.
The MGC highlighted that this formalized timeline will mark a more seamless approach to its December deadline. The phased licensing process also provides sufficient time for conducting due diligence, background checks, and technical readiness, which are prerequisites for granting final operating permits.
Once operational, Missouri's sports betting market will be under regulation and will include both mobile and retail channels, making regulated betting platforms available to residents.
