Missouri Sports Betting: The Best Missouri Sports Betting Sites for 2024
By Matt Speakman,Betting Expert at online-gambling.com
Matt Speakman
Betting Expert at online-gambling.com
At the time of writing, sports betting is not yet legal in the state of Missouri. This is still the case for most US states, which used to be prohibited by state law. However, since New Jersey’s groundbreaking defeat of PASPA last in 2018, change does seem to be coming through. Since then, bills have been appearing in Missouri around the issue of sports betting. In January of last year, Rep Bart Korman first put forward a bill that could have allowed sports betting in Missouri’s riverboat casinos and daily fantasy enterprises. While a bill hasn’t been passed yet, it could mean good news for the Show Me State. Progress seems slow but it seems highly probable that Missouri will follow suit with states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania and most recently Iowa.
Gambling Laws in Missouri
The Missouri Gaming Commission is responsible for regulating gambling in the Show Me State. Most commercial gambling is limited to riverboat casinos. These might seem unusual but are present in many states where the Mississippi river flows through. These boats serve to limit the areas in which gambling can take place. Charitable bingo and lotteries are also legal. Most recently, in 2016 the H 1941 bill was passed to legalize and regulate daily fantasy sports. The discussion on fantasy sports has spread across the US, with many states putting forward bills. We can see similar progress around sports betting, as bills have been put forward debating the matter since 2018.
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Most Popular Sports in Missouri
Missouri is home to a wide variety of popular sports. St. Louis is home to two professional sports teams, as is Kansas City. For the people of the Show Me State, baseball, football and ice-hockey are all firm favorites. Missouri’s sporting history goes back a long way. In 1904, the Summer Olympics were held in St. Louis. This gave Missouri the opportunity to host the very first Olympics to be brought to the US. Previous to this, the Olympic Games had been exclusive to Europe. The next time we’ll see the Olympics come to America will be in 2028, when they land in LA!
Ice Hockey – St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues were founded in 1967. Their ‘blue note’ logo comes from their namesake – the famous W.C. Handy song. They are the oldest NHL team still playing to have never won the Stanley Cup. That doesn’t mean they didn’t get close though. In fact, they had an almost-lucky streak reaching the finals in 1968, 1969 and 1970. Since Craig Berube replaced head coach Mike Yeo the team seem to be turning their fates around. In 2019, on March 29th they became the 7th team in NHL Expansion Era history to make the playoffs after ranking last after the first of January. After a 48-year long wait, the team is closer to lifting the Stanley Cup than ever before – 2019 could before their first time ever.
Baseball – St. Louis Cardinals
As one of the best baseball teams in the US, it’s no surprise that the St. Louis Cardinals have a cult following. Fans, known as the ‘Cardinal Nation’, loyally flock to matches with the team’s classic rivals – the Chicago Cubs. The Cardinals are second only to the New York Yankees in winning the World Series Championships – they have won 11 to date. This season the Cardinals brought back the famous victory blue jerseys from the 70s and 80s. The lucky jerseys certainly seem to be doing the trick, especially for catcher Yadier Molina. He extended the Cardinals’ record for Opening Day starts with 15.
Football – Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are an NFL football team with a famously loyal fan base. They always draw a huge crowd to their home base, the Arrowhead Stadium. It was there that they set a record as the loudest outdoor stadium in the world. The Chiefs were playing against the New England Patriots and the crowd roared to 142.2 decibels. That’s like standing close to a jumbo jet engine! With players like quarterback Patrick Mahomes on the team, it’s not hard to see where the diehard fans are coming from. Mahomes is undoubtedly one the best players in NFL, finishing the season with a historic 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns.
Local History of Sports Betting
Even though sports betting hasn’t been legalized in the state of Missouri, there has been considerable discussion. Since the Supreme Court declared PASPA unconstitutional in 2018, it is now up to individual states to regulate sports betting. See our timeline for a simple breakdown of the bills that have been put forward and what they mean. Nothing is certain, but it seems like change is afoot.
| Year | Info |
|---|---|
| January 30th 2018 | Bill H 2320 is introduced by Rep. Bart Korman. It proposes that riverboat casinos and daily fantasy companies may offer sports betting. This bill died in committee. |
| February 7th 2018 | Rep. Justin Alferman puts forward bill H 2406, proposing that casinos offer sports betting. This bill too died in committee. |
| February 15th 2018 | New sports betting bills are introduced for the Senate in 2018. First is Sen. Hoskins video lottery bill S 767. It includes provision on sports wagering, should PASPA be revoked. |
| February 19th 2018 | Sen. Rowden’s bill S 1009 proposes riverboat casino operators may offer sports betting. It also offers customer protections and lays out taxes and fees. |
| February 21th 2018 | Sen. Hoskins’ bill S 1013 includes an integrity fee of 0.25%. This would allow leagues to profit from sports betting. If the integrity fee stays and the bill is passed, Missouri will be the first state to ratify one. |
| February 21th 2018 | Rep. Plocher introduces bill H 2535. It is similar to bill H 2406, and doesn’t make it past the committee. |
| February 7th 2018 | Rep. Justin Alferman puts forward bill H 2406, proposing that casinos offer sports betting. This bill too died in committee. |
| May 14th 2018 | The Supreme Court rules against PASPA. Control is now handed over to individual states to legislate on sports betting for themselves. |
| 2019 | As we can see, the process of getting a bill through the committee stages is a slow one. Progress has been made this year, in both the House and the Senate. At the current rate, some experts project that sports betting could be legalized in Missouri in 2020. |
Legal Online Sports Betting Age in Missouri
As sports betting is not yet °legal in Missouri, it does not carry a betting age. You must be at least 21 years old to legally gamble in the state. Legal forms of gambling in Missouri include the lottery, charity and commercial casino gambling. Underage gambling can carry lofty consequences. Minors caught gambling can face charges of up to $500 and potentially jail time. The same goes for alcohol consumption – you must be 21 years old. Cannabis is illegal – period – unless it is for medicinal use.
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Sports Betting AgeA person must be at least 21 years of age before they can legally gamble in Missouri.
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Alcohol AgeYou must be over 21 years old to drink, buy or possess alcohol.
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Marijuana AgeRecreational cannabis is still illegal in Missouri. However, medical use cannabis has been legalized.
Is Online Sports Betting Legal Outside of Missouri?
As it stands, sports betting is still under consideration in Missouri. Things have moved faster elsewhere though. Online sports betting is currently legal in twelve states. Most recently, neighbors of Missouri, Iowa became the latest to legalize it. This all follows from the Supreme Court’s decision in 2018 to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 – in short, PASPA. Before this, Nevada was the only state offering traditional sports betting. Delaware, New Jersey, Mississippi, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia all legalized sports betting in 2018. In May of 2019, four more states have legalized too – Indiana, Iowa, Montana and Tennessee. In Tennessee, is only permitted online.
Taxes on Your Winnings: Do You Have to Pay Anything?
Sports betting in Missouri is not legal yet, but there are many other ways to win from gambling. Let’s find out what happens in terms of tax when you win. Casinos are highly taxed in Missouri, paying a 21% gaming tax and a $2 minimum admission fees for players. We can see how casino taxes are the fifth largest source of revenue for Missouri. In 2018, gaming revenue brought in $509.2 million in benefits. These tax rates affect operators rather than you the bettor. However, that doesn’t mean you’re your win comes tax-free. Because winnings count as income they must be declared. They are then subject to a minimum of 5.4% tax.
Upcoming Regulation Changes in Missouri Sports Betting Law
Since PASPA was overturned, what is the future for sports betting in Missouri? The future seems hopeful, although we don’t think Missouri is moving forward as quickly as other states. Estimates project that sports betting will be legalized in the year 2020. Before that happens, legislators ultimately need to come to some agreement on where they stand with the integrity fee. It’s a contentious issue for good reason. It would spell good news for league sports, which could profit from the industry. It would be less beneficial for operators though, which is why an integrity fee has never been passed in the states that currently operate legal sports betting. Taxes and fees need to be agreed on too. There is no reason to doubt that Missouri sports betting will be legalized. These bills are being put forward and discussed, and there is demand. Legislation takes time to go through and it seems that Missouri is exercising caution. Missouri will surely look to the success of legalized sports betting in neighboring state Iowa in the coming months to decide how to put its best foot forward.
Sports Betting Guides for Nearby States