As US betting expansion rolls through Missouri, sports teams jump in
The Missouri Gaming Commission is granting new licenses to multiple gambling operators as online betting continues to proliferate worldwide, and more specifically across the US.
The approved operators include some of the biggest names in sports betting. According to the Missouri regulator’s PR coordinator, Liz Hoffman, these licenses remain temporary but will allow the involved companies to test sports betting systems and equipment ahead of the full launch that is set December 1, 2025. This followed the granting of initial untethered licenses in the summer months, the first move towards bring new betting opportunities to the state of Missouri.
bet365 among operators partnering with Missouri sports teams
The operators coming into the state have wasted no time getting involved at the local level, connecting with local sports teams with national brand power based in Missouri. Top operator bet365 headlined that group, partnering with the St. Louis Cardinals pro baseball team. The Cardinals are one of the most stories and successful teams in all of professional baseball, with a history that dates all the way back to the 19th century with its founding as part of the National League. The league later combined with the American league to form the modern foundation of Major League Baseball, the richest and most popular professional baseball league in the world.
Getting directly involved with a name like that of the Cardinals shows how seriously bet365 and other operators are taking this new opportunity in Missouri. It also speaks towards the willingness of established brand names to tether themselves to the bigger and more reliable names in the betting space as the industry continues to experience explosive growth.
The St. Louis Blues hockey club and Sporting Kansas City of MLS have also jumped in on similar partnerships, showing that the Cardinals are far from alone in understanding the importance of betting moving forward.
Sports betting goes legal in Missouri for December 2025
Image credit: John Murphy/KOMU
It’s been a long road, but the MGC has made clear that sports betting will indeed go live in the state of Missouri come December 1, 2025. The stated purpose is to encourage safer, legal betting practices, and to bring new revenue opportunities to the state. Tax from gambling could generate up to $30 million annually as apps and online betting sites go active in the region, which state representatives say will go towards funding the state’s education, among other initiatives.
“You’d be able to stay in your jammies and watch TV and make a bet. The rules are not only in place to make sure that sports wagering is done legally and correctly, but it’s also to protect those consumers,” MGC chair Jan Zimmerman said.
The Missouri Gaming Commission has granted supplier licenses to 10 companies to help provide services to the involved operators who will be featured in the state. The list includes Kambi, Gaming Laboratories International, GeoComply, Genius Sports, Swish Analytics, Catalist Sports, and others.
Formal licenses will be issued in the weeks to come. Sportsbooks can begin accepting deposits from bettors in Missouri as early as November 17 ahead of the full launch.
The temporary licenses will allow casinos and other online operators to start collecting sports wagers from Missouri residents, letting them see how their services are functioning ahead of the formal December launch.
Missouri sports teams have been rallying around the new initiative. Kansas City Royals representatives argue that such betting practices are just another way to engage with fans. Senior vice president Adam Sachs has pointed towards neighboring states as already taking action on betting interest in Missouri, saying that a lot of fans already “drive over and have BBQ on the Kansas side and wager on sports legally,” while arguing that Missouri should be the one getting the profits from its own residents betting on games.
Whether it’s traditional sports betting action or newer opportunities available on esports betting sites, it’s clear that the betting wave is only continuing to rush forward. It’s those quick enough to take advantage, as representatives in Missouri are now doing, who will see the benefits.
Featured image credit: St. Louis Cardinals
Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.
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