On Friday, September 12, we received a full picture of which sportsbooks will be eligible to take wagers in Missouri this winter. That was the deadline for sportsbooks to submit sports betting applications to the Missouri Gaming Commission. Bet365, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, Circa Sports, DraftKings, Fanatics Betting & Gaming, FanDuel, Penn Entertainment (ESPN Bet), and Underdog were confirmed as applicants.

The commission posted on its website that it expects to issue temporary sports betting licenses by October 22.

Once an operator is granted a temporary license, it will need to submit its house rules and controls to regulators. The next step after that would be allowing pre-registration, which can begin on Nov. 17.

An unexpected operator in the mix is Circa Sports, which was awarded one of two “untethered” (not tied to a brick-and-mortar casino or sports team partnership) licenses (along with DraftKings) by the Missouri Gaming Commission in mid-August.

FanDuel and DraftKings appeared to be shoe-ins after donating a Missouri ballot initiative record $43 million to get sports betting in the state.

FanDuel quickly announced it has secured market access through a partnership with St. Louis CITY SC of the MLS. The market leader officially applied for a license

DraftKings and Underdog became the first operators to apply for a license on June 11, while BetMGM and bet365 have already gained market access through partnerships with Century Casinos (BetMGM) and the St. Louis Cardinals. The rest of the market is starting to take shape. Fanatics applied for a license in early August.

The MGC is accepting sports betting applications until Sept. 12, which is the deadline for any operator that wants to take wagers on Dec. 1, 2025.

There will be 19 retail (brick-and-mortar) sportsbook licenses and 14 mobile sports betting licenses awarded (12 tethered to casinos or pro teams).

Missouri sports betting at a glance

Missouri sports betting launch news and updates

• September 12: Bet365, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, Circa Sports, DraftKings, Fanatics Betting & Gaming, FanDuel, Penn Entertainment (ESPN Bet), and Underdog were confirmed as applicants.
• September 5: The Missouri Gaming Commission announces that pre-registration can begin on Nov. 17 for operators who are granted a temporary sports betting license.
• August 15: The Missouri Gaming Commission awards Circa Sports and DraftKings the two “untethered” licenses. FanDuel announces market access through a partnership with St. Louis CITY SC of the MLS.
• July 17, 2025: The Missouri Gaming Commission holds a public hearing to gather feedback, but no one showed up. This is notable because the Missouri sports betting launch date was pushed back due to concerns the public wasn’t being given enough time to comment.
• July 16, 2025: Circa Sports submits a post-dated application for a “untethered” license (the deadline was July 15).
• July 11, 2025: FanDuel officially applies for one of the two “untethered” licenses ahead of the July 15 deadline.
• June 11, 2025: DraftKings and Underdog become the first two sports betting operators to apply for licenses, according to the Missouri Gaming Commission.
• May 27, 2025: BetMGM announces it will launch in Missouri through a partnership with Century Casinos.
• May 15, 2025: The Missouri Gaming Commission announces Missouri sports betting will launch on Dec. 1. The MGC made this revelation the same day the license application window opened.
• May 14, 2025: The Missouri Gaming Commission announces the “untethered” sports betting licenses (unaffiliated with land-based casinos) will be awarded on August 15. Applicants have until July 15 to apply.
• March 24, 2025: Bet365 announces a partnership with the St. Louis Cardinals, giving it market access for the December 1 launch of Missouri sports betting.

Which Missouri sportsbooks will be available on Dec. 1?

There has been a shakeup here, with FanDuel now needing to partner with a casino or pro sports team to obtain market access. There’s still little doubt that it will happen, so no concerns there.

DraftKings and Circa Sports have been awarded the two “untethered” licenses, meaning they don’t have to partner with a casino or sports team.

Meanwhile, BetMGM has confirmed will launch in Missouri. BetMGM has a partnership with Boyd Gaming, which runs a land-based casino in the state. Bally operates another of the state’s 13 casinos, so Bally Bet could be a viable option.

Bet365 has already secured market access through a partnership with the St. Louis Cardinals, while PENN Entertainment’s leadership said ESPN BET will also launch in Missouri in December. PENN Entertainment operates two Missouri casinos.

Underdog has also applied for a license, as did Fanatics (the most recent operator to apply).

Caesars Sportsbook will almost certainly also offer sports betting in Missouri. Caesars operates three land-based casinos in the state.