Missouri Sports Betting Ramps Up for Dec. 1 Launch With Pre-Registration Now Live

Patrick Everson Sports Betting Expert

It's been a while since a new state launched legal, regulated sports betting. In fact, it's been 21 months since the last go-live, in North Carolina on March 11, 2024.

Missouri brings an end to that dry spell on Dec. 1, when sports betting arrives to the Show Me State. All the usual sportsbooks will be available – DraftKings, BetMGM, FanDuel, Caesars Sports, Fanatics Sportsbook, and more.

Each of them is currently live with pre-registration offers:

So too will Circa Sports, offering a model that significantly differs from the national brands. VegasInsider checks in with a few of the operators ahead of the big launch.

(Feature image: Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

Missouri Sports Betting

Feeling the Draft

When Missouri legal, regulated sports betting goes live Dec. 1, the Show Me State will become the 39th state to allow wagering in some form. Missouri will be the 31st state to allow mobile/online wagering, and it will also offer sports betting at retail spaces (sports venues/casinos, etc.).

DraftKings Sportsbook was awarded one of two untethered licenses in Missouri, meaning it can operate independently in the state. Missouri has an additional dozen licenses, six tied to casinos and six connected to professional sports teams.

So there'll be no shortage of options for consumers, with all the aforementioned brand names available. DraftKings is eager to get started.

"We are always excited to enter a new jurisdiction," DraftKings director of sportsbook operations Johnny Avello said. "Missouri, in particular, is exciting, with so many passionate sports fans and various professional teams in both St. Louis and Kansas City.

"With neighboring states like Kansas and Illinois already offering legal sports betting, it's exciting to see Missouri join them, giving fans a fun, legal way to participate, while also generating tax benefits for the state and funding important responsible gaming programs."

Avello noted the timing is key, as well. Sportsbooks always prefer having a full football season ahead of them. But you can't do much better than right now in terms of variety of options.

"We're thrilled to enter the market at such an exciting time on the sports calendar," Avello said. "With the NFL, NBA, NHL, college basketball and college football all in full swing, we're proud to give fans another way to elevate their game-day experience.

"Previously, many sports fans [in Missouri] had to cross state lines or turn to illegal bookies and offshore platforms. Now, they can enjoy placing bets on a regulated platform like DraftKings that delivers an exceptional customer service experience, a wide variety of betting options, and various responsible gaming tools and resources."

Avello expects Missouri customers will find DK's mobile/online offering attractive, just as consumers have in dozens of other jurisdictions so far.

"DraftKings has built a sportsbook that delivers relevant betting experiences to our customers in the moments that matter most," he said. "Our top-rated sportsbook continues to set the standard for speed, depth, and variety, giving Missouri sports fans a seamless, intuitive way to explore exciting options tailored to the teams, players, and storylines they care about most."

Circa Surprise

Circa Sports surprisingly nabbed the second of Missouri's two untethered licenses and will operate solely with an online/mobile product. Circa gives Missouri bettors a very different choice from the big national brands.

Jeff Benson, Circa's director of sportsbook operations, noted that states need to make room for different operating models and lauded the Missouri Gaming Commission for doing so.

"Everybody can't be FanDuel and DraftKings," Benson said.

Circa Sports has a reputation for taking all comers, including the sharpest of sharp bettors and the high-rollers. If you want dozens of player props on NFL games – completely understandable in this day and age – then the bigger brands are there for you.

If you're price-sensitive and looking more so for main game markets or futures odds, along with a modest but respectable props menu, then that's what Circa brings to the table.

"We're really excited to bring sports betting the way it should be to all Missourians," Benson said. "We're here for anybody in the state looking for good pricing, big limits, and the ability to play with an operator who treats them fairly.

"Those are things people are going to see right out of the gate from Day 1 with Circa Sports."

Circa is also rolling out upgrades as Missouri sports betting launches.

"This will be our sixth state, which is exciting from an expansion perspective," Benson said. "We're looking forward to building on it with our new app, which is in-house. It has a new UI and new UX. We think it'll appeal to sharp and recreational customers."

Missouri Milestone

BetMGM chief revenue officer Matt Prevost echoed many of the sentiments noted above by peers in the industry. Additionally, Missouri legal, regulated sports betting represents a landmark for his company.

"It’s an exciting moment for BetMGM as we launch sports betting in Missouri on Dec. 1 — our 30th market and a major milestone," Prevost said. "Missouri is home to some of the most passionate sports fans in the country, and we’re eager to deliver legendary experiences through our app and at the BetMGM Sportsbook at Century Casino.

"As an official sports betting partner of the Kansas City Chiefs and with Missouri native Jon Hamm as the face of our brand, this launch is all about creating unforgettable moments that feel authentically Missouri."

Prevost stressed the importance of Missouri soon having a legal market.

"Legal, regulated sports betting gives fans a safe and secure way to engage with the games they love," he said. "It means age verification, responsible gambling tools, and confidence that they’re betting with a trusted operator.

"At BetMGM, we take responsible gambling seriously and embed it into everything we do — from in-app limits to resources to help customers play responsibly, like GameSense and so much more."

Prevost is confident that Missouri customers will welcome the BetMGM experience.

"BetMGM brings the excitement of Vegas right in the palm of your hand. Our app is faster and more user-friendly than ever, with countless ways to bet — before the game and live as the action unfolds," Prevost said.

He also noted that BetMGM will offer exclusive promotions and "money-can't-buy experiences" through the MGM Resorts reward program.

Patrick Everson

Patrick Everson is a senior reporter for VegasInsider. Based in Las Vegas since 1994, he's worked in the sports betting journalism/content space for more than a decade. He's most known for his deep roster of contacts behind sportsbook counters, providing readers and viewers with the ins-and-outs of how events are being bet. He's also a thought leader in the sports betting space, often appearing on or moderating panels at national conferences. More from Patrick Everson