Missouri’s sports betting market shifted from anticipation to action today as operators launched pre-registration, opening their platforms to early sign-ups ahead of the state’s long-awaited launch on December 1st.
For the first time, players across Missouri can now create accounts, deposit funds, and claim pre-registration offers, building early momentum for the regulated mobile sports betting market. This operational shift follows last month’s temporary license approvals granted by the Missouri Gaming Commission.
The pre-launch window offers Missouri its first tangible glimpse of the new market structure. The landscape is notably mixed: Circa and DraftKings stand out as the only two operators granted untethered licenses, enabling them to offer mobile betting without a formal connection to a specific casino or professional sports organization.
In contrast, the majority of brands entering the state have secured access through established partnerships. The initial group of major brands includes BetMGM, bet365, Caesars, ESPN BET, FanDuel, Fanatics, and Underdog.
This strategy reflects a broader US trend where market structure is often highly dependent on specific regulatory decisions regarding access distribution.
The long road to launch was characterized by tension; sports betting was only approved through Amendment 2 in November 2024, passing by an exceptionally slim margin of just 50.1 percent of the vote.
This narrow approval underscores both the enthusiasm for the industry and the lingering hesitation within the state. Under the new framework, revenue generated from sports betting will be taxed at 10 percent, with potential allowances for promotional and federal tax deductions.
This structure aims to provide operators with a clear path to profitability while offering the state a predictable revenue stream.
Operators now face a tight window of less than two weeks to convert their initial sign-ups into active bettors, fine-tune their platforms, and finalize competitive marketing plans ahead of launch day. Today’s early registrations provide the first concrete signal of anticipated demand.
The critical next milestone arrives on December 1st, when the first regulated wagers can officially begin, firmly placing Missouri among the growing list of US states with a fully mobile betting market.
