Over 250,000 Sports Betting Accounts Active in Missouri on Launch Day

Missouri's newly launched online sports betting market generated strong activity in its first full day, according to early geolocation data released by GeoComply. Just after getting started, Missouri's betting market is rapidly expanding.

The company reported more than 2.6 million geolocation checks statewide between the launch, which occurred just after midnight on Dec. 1.

GeoComply also verified more than 250,000 active Missouri sports betting accounts on opening day. Ahead of the launch window, which ran from Nov. 17 to Nov. 30, nearly 188,000 residents completed pre-registrations with licensed operators that were offering lucrative Missouri sportsbook promos.

“Missouri has shown for years that it’s one of the most eager states in the country for legal sports betting,” said Kip Levin, GeoComply CEO. “What we’ve seen in the first 24 hours is remarkable. Tens of thousands of Missourians immediately joined safe, regulated platforms the moment they became legal. It’s a powerful reminder of how quickly consumers embrace a well-regulated market when the option finally exists.”

The company described the data as an early snapshot. It confirmed that a more complete analysis will be published after the first full week of wagering, including traffic generated around the Kansas City Chiefs' home game on Dec. 7.

Missouri bettors shift to in-state options

The early surge in activity also aligned with expectations that Missourians would quickly transition away from out-of-state wagering. GeoComply data from Sept. 5 to Oct. 21 showed more than 216,000 active mobile sportsbook accounts in Missouri, despite legal betting not being available within state borders at the time. 

During that period, more than 3,700 residents crossed the border and took advantage of Kansas sportsbook promos to place bets, and over 2,800 traveled to Illinois, snatching up Illinois sportsbook promos.

Analysts anticipated these patterns would shift once local sportsbooks opened, noting that convenience typically drives bettors toward in-state options. Adam Hoffer, director of excise tax policy at the Tax Foundation, said Missouri's central location made cross-border betting a recurring factor before legalization. 

He added that the rollout was expected to alter wagering flows into neighboring states, particularly given recent changes to Illinois tax policy.

Voters approved legal sports betting in November 2024, and many residents said the ability to place bets at home was a primary advantage. Missouri projects about $28 million in annual tax revenue from Missouri sports betting apps, though officials do not expect the state to draw a large number of out-of-state bettors due to its later entry into the market. 

However, the onset of the per-wager tax in Illinois may have behavioral implications for gamblers in the neighboring regions. According to Hoffer, later-starting states had time to observe the lessons from different taxation methods, which may be taken into consideration by bettors regarding interstate wagering.