Missouri sports betting is officially live, with sportsbooks accepting wagers from December 1, 2025.
It becomes the 39th US state to legalize sports wagering – and, after many years of debate, a lump of the nation’s biggest operators are now rolling out promotions for brand-new players.
On this page, BonusFinder explains how Missouri’s sports betting industry came to pass, key rules behind online gambling and which sportsbooks offer worthwhile welcome bonuses.
Missouri legalizes sportsbooks: Full timeline
Missouri’s journey toward legal sports betting was a multi-year process. From 2018, disagreements over tax regulations and industry frameworks saw several bills fail – but, in 2024, a public vote finally paved the way for online and retail sportsbooks…
- May 2018: The US Supreme Court strikes down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), allowing states to create their own sports betting rules.
- 2018 – 2023: Lawmakers fail to agree on a working sports betting framework – with successive proposal failures over five years.
- November 2024: Voters pass Missouri Amendment 2 during the Presidential Election to modify the state’s constitution and legalize the introduction of sports betting.
- December 2024: Amendment 2 is certified and sports gambling is given a start date of no later than December 1, 2025.
- May 2025: After months of deliberating on an adequate sports gambling structure, Missouri welcomes operator license applications for the first time.
- July 2025: Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) awards sports betting licenses to early applicants.
- November 2025: Sportsbooks roll out pre-registration promotional campaigns ahead of launch.
- December 2025: Online and retail sports betting go live for players aged 21+ on December 1.
Best sportsbooks available in Missouri
Missouri lawmakers agreed that 14 licenses would be made available – two ‘untethered’ (no land-based partner) and the remaining 12 being ‘tethered.’ As of launch day, there are eight active sportsbooks in the state, each providing distinct welcome bonuses.
Specifically, players can take bonuses and bet on sports markets across these platforms…
- DraftKings (untethered): Bet $5 get $300 in bonus bets.
- bet365 (St. Louis Cardinals): Bet $10 get $365 in bonus bets.
- BetMGM (Century Casinos): Get $1,500 in bonus bets if the first wager loses.
- Caesars Sportsbook (Caesars): Bet $5 and get $350 in bonus bets if your wager wins.
- Fanatics Sportsbook (Boyd Gaming): Bet $30 for $300 FanCash.
- FanDuel (St. Louis City SC): Bet $5 get $300 in bonus bets.
- theScore Bet (PENN Entertainment): Bet $10 get $100 in bonus bets.
Circa Sports (untethered) is also available, albeit without a welcome bonus. Instead, the operator seeks to deliver competitive odds and provide greater wagering limits than competitors.
Important: Underdog pulls out of Missouri despite license approval
Underdog had been expected to serve Missouri players at launch. However, the Brooklyn-headquartered platform opted to withdraw its application just days before December 1, 2025, to focus on a new sports-facing prediction product.
The news highlights a growing trend in the modern sports gaming scene, as operators search for new ways to battle the rapid expansion of dedicated prediction platforms, such as Kalshi.
Primarily a daily fantasy sports (DFS) operator, Underdog will now steer away from Missouri sports betting in favor of contract-based services. Further, this maneuver ensures that North Carolina remains the only state where Underdog sports wagering is available.
Speaking to Fox 2, MGC Executive Director Mike Leara confirmed that his team had been notified of Underdog’s intent to offer a predictions product: “They have decided to go to that market. It’s not regulated at any level compared to what traditional sports betting is regulated, and obviously, there’s no tax on it.”
Whether Underdog returns to Missouri in the future remains to be seen – though the operator may look to reactivate its ‘tethered’ license with the Kansas City Royals if legislative circumstances change.
Missouri sports betting: Key rules and requirements
Missourians interested in sports betting should become acquainted with crucial regulations tied to wagering. See a rundown of pertinent rules here:
- Minimum age: Players must be 21+ to engage in sports betting.
- Location: Access to Missouri sportsbooks is limited to players physically located within the state.
- Banned markets: High-school sports betting and college player prop bets are not allowed.
- Responsible gambling: Sportsbooks must offer responsible gambling tools, such as deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion.
Tax implications for players and operators
Both players and operators must comply with sports betting tax rules in Missouri.
Tax rules for players…
Cash won directly through sports wagers is treated as taxable income in Missouri, at a variable rate limited to no greater than 4.8%. As such, players must report any winnings in their end-of-year tax returns.
As of the 2026 tax year, players may offset up to 90% of gambling losses against taxable winnings – down from the previous 100% cap.
Tax rules for operators…
All Missouri sportsbook operators must pay a 10% tax on adjusted gross revenue (AGR). In short, this represents the amount of cash remaining after paying player winnings and other promotional expenses.
Operators are required to submit monthly revenue reports to the MGC – the results of which are published for public consumption.
Problem gambling organizations will receive either 10% or $5m of sports betting tax yield – whichever is greater – annually through state-enforced sportsbook taxes, with funds beyond that threshold allocated to local education services.
How to sign up and bet with Missouri sportsbooks
Missouri citizens and visitors who meet geolocation and age requirements may create an account with any of the state’s eight sportsbooks. For clear-cut step-by-step instructions on how to join and bet on a licensed platform, refer to the guide below:
- Visit any of the state’s eight online sportsbooks.
- Click ‘sign up’ and fill out registration details.
- Deposit cash – meeting relevant bonus qualifying requirements.
- Select a sports market to bet on.
- Confirm the sports wager.
If a prediction within a bet is correct, winnings shall be paid once the event or outcome settles.
