COLUMBIA — Missourians are simply days away from having the ability to legally place sports activities bets or shoot their shot on that parlay in particular person or on their telephones.
Sports wagering turns into authorized statewide at 12:01 a.m. Monday after voters authorized Amendment 2 in November 2024. The Missouri Gaming Commission will oversee the rollout, which incorporates cellular apps and in-person betting at licensed casinos and sure skilled sports activities venues.
Anyone 21 or older might be in a position to place a wager so long as they’re bodily in Missouri. Residency will not be required, however geolocation know-how will block bets positioned from outdoors state strains.
Several national sportsbooks — together with FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, bet365 and Fanatics — are anticipated to go stay Monday. Retail sports activities betting may also be accessible at Missouri’s riverboat casinos as operators open their on-site sportsbook areas.
Mobile apps launching Monday would require customers to confirm their identification and age with private info and a government-issued ID. Most platforms will supply customary betting markets, together with straight bets, parlays, futures and stay in-game wagering — the sorts of choices Missourians beforehand had to cross state strains for earlier than taking their swing at a moneyline or prop.
Before followers lock in their first tickets, there are just a few essential guidelines to know.
Missourians might be in a position to guess on the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and different skilled sports activities, in addition to faculty sports activities, together with video games involving Mizzou Athletics. The state does prohibit one class of wagers: player-specific prop bets on video games involving Missouri-based schools. Bets comparable to predicting a Mizzou basketball participant’s level whole or a Tigers soccer participant’s dashing yards won’t be allowed. Traditional recreation strains, totals and team-based props might be authorized.
Even as sports activities betting turns into authorized for the general public, NCAA guidelines proceed to prohibit all student-athletes, coaches and athletic employees from inserting bets on any sport. Universities throughout the nation, together with Mizzou, have emphasised teaching programs to remind athletes of the restrictions and potential penalties.
Missouri officers anticipate requires playing assist to rise as soon as betting apps turn into broadly accessible. The state already funds a number of assist methods, together with the 24/7 Bets Off helpline at 1-888-BETSOFF. The Missouri Department of Mental Health presents free outpatient remedy for downside playing, and the National Problem Gambling Hotline at 1-800-522-4700 is accessible as one other useful resource.
For years, when sports activities betting was unlawful in Missouri, many residents who needed to wager turned to unregulated offshore web sites or traveled to neighboring states the place betting was authorized. With sports activities wagering launching Monday, Missouri will for the primary time supply a regulated, state-monitored market — giving bettors protections comparable to age verification, safe fee methods and clear oversight.
Legalization additionally allows the state to collect tax revenue and implement consumer-protection safeguards that don’t exist in offshore or underground markets.