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Missouri Gaming Commission Chairman is Working to Bring Sports Betting to the State

Ziv Chen

Last Updated: November 13, 2024 4:02 PM EST • 1 min 55 sec read.

St. Louis Blues center Oskar Sundqvist is congratulated as we look at Missouri's next step in the legalization of sports betting.
St. Louis Blues center Oskar Sundqvist is congratulated by center Dylan Holloway and left wing Brandon Saad. Photo by: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images.

For residents of the Show Me State, access to our best sports betting sites is relatively just around the corner.

Missouri Gaming Commission Chairman Jan Zimmerman has updated  on the rules for the upcoming legal sports betting market in Missouri following the narrow approval of Amendment 2 in the November ballots. Zimmerman said, “Our folks are writing the rules and regulations as we speak.”

The Chairman also revealed more details on how the application process will work. Amendment 2 laws will allow casinos, online operators, and sports teams to apply for sports betting licenses. Zimmerman noted that the process will be very similar to the casino application process the Missouri Gaming Commission already uses.

She commented, “With casino gambling, if someone is going to be working in a casino they have to be licensed by the Missouri Gaming Commission as well. So this application process really won’t be significantly different. There are lots of folks who will be affiliated and associated with sports betting that will need to be licensed.”

Zimmerman also explained the extensiveness of the application process, indicating it would apply to a huge range of people involved in gambling. 

“We want to protect you know both the gaming industry, but also our citizens, to make sure that there’s not some entity out there who’s cheating our folks,” she said. “There’ll be a lot of licensing that’ll be we’re going to have some pretty busy agendas at the Gaming Commission in the next few months.”

Progress keeps Missouri on track for summer launch

The update from Zimmerman will be welcome news for Missouri bettors who want to start wagering in the Show Me State. Language in Amendment 2 requires Missouri sports betting to be online by Dec. 1, 2025.

However, Zimmerman has previously indicated the Missouri Gaming Commission is working on a timeline to make sports betting available sooner. In a previous interview, she said, “The constitutional language says we have to be up and running by December 1 of 2025, but it’s our hope we get there much sooner than that. Optimistically, in order to get through all those administrative processes, we’re looking mid-to-late summer (2025) to get all of those things in place.”

Amendment 2 passes by narrowest margin

Amendment 2's success on the November ballots was as close as it could get, with the initiative passing by just 5,000 votes and with a 50.1% majority. Even before the initiative reached voters, Amendment 2 survived various challenges and lawsuits from opponents. 

While that closeness allows the opposition to request a recount, the Caesars Entertainment-backed Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment group has already announced it won’t exercise this option.

Plenty of interested parties are pleased that sports betting is coming to MO, including the CEO of the American Gaming Association, who recently congratulated voters in the state. Meanwhile, sportsbook operators like DraftKings and FanDuel have poured significant amounts into funding the ballot campaign and will be eyeing a launch in the newly regulated market.

Written By:
Ziv Chen
Ziv has over two decades of experience in the igaming and sports betting industry, having served in senior marketing and business development positions with both B2C and B2B companies, including Playtech and Microgaming. In 2019, Ziv decided to pursue his passion for writing and became a fulltime industry journalist, covering casino, sports, and gambling business news. He’s specialties include casino games and technology, US state gambling regulation, company performance, as well as gambling affiliates and marketing. As a Pitt graduate, Ziv is a diehard fan of all Pittsburgh sports teams, with the Steelers at the top of the list. In his free time, he enjoys reading crime fiction, biographies (mainly of sports personalities, but not only) and American history. Ziv’s Favorite quote: “We're going to pursue perfection, knowing full well we won't catch it, but we're going to relentlessly chase it," Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach.