Missouri Gaming Commission Chairman Jan Zimmerman announced that the Show-Me State might roll out online sports betting sooner than anticipated. Despite being just a few weeks into the year, Zimmerman noted that the legalization process is progressing faster than expected, putting Missouri on track to become the first U.S. state to launch sports betting in 2025.
“Depending on how quickly the process goes with getting the rules to the Governor’s office, getting them signed, getting everything to the Attorney General’s Office, we could be looking at earlier in the summer than we anticipated,” Zimmerman revealed, speaking to the media.
The entire process started in November last year when adult Missourians voted in support of Amendment 2, a ballot measure aimed at amending the constitution to permit online and retail sports betting in the state.
With a narrow margin securing the amendment’s passage, Zimmerman wasted no time signaling her readiness to accelerate the process once the results became public.
“Our folks are writing the rules and regulations as we speak,” the Chairman said in a press statement after results were announced.
Amendment 2 was far-reaching in its impact. Under the measure, the Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) is tasked with regulating both online and retail sports betting in the state. The MGC also deals with licensing, and initial research has predicted that prospective license holders alone may bring in up to $11.75 million from permits.
Professional sports franchises and land-based casinos in the state are each eligible to hold both an online sports betting license and a retail permit. There are two standalone, digital-only licenses up for grabs, too. Statistically, this could bring the number of retail sports betting licensees to 19, and their online counterparts to 21.
Starting from the second year, forecasts also suggest that revenues from sportsbooks may hit $28.9 million annually. There will be a 10% tax on betting revenue which will be allocated to funding state education and a compulsive gambling prevention fund. Establishing both projects is expected to cost $660,000 initially, with annual expenses estimated at $5.2 million annually.
As it stands, the MGC is working on emergency regulations to be sent to the Governor’s office later this month. Some of the rules range from punishments for rule violations, tax policies, and underage wagering. The current legal age for sports betting in Missouri is 21.
“The Missouri Gaming Commission is working feverishly to get the rules on the books,” Zimmerman said. However, the Chairman acknowledged that the Commission is scrutinizing and combing through existing regulations in other states to develop rules for Missouri.
“There's some advantages, I guess, to being relatively late to the game,” she told reporters.
For next steps, the emergency regulations will have to be approved by the Missouri Attorney General’s office and must be signed off by the newly sworn in Governor Mike Kehoe (R). Licensing is bound to be the lengthiest process in the timeline, with the MGC bound to conduct extensive background checks on prospective license holders.
“The Missouri Gaming Commission is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the process, the integrity of gambling within the state of Missouri, and so we really can't afford to have anyone that's inappropriate, or, you know, shouldn't be involved in the gaming industry,” Zimmerman said.
On the bright side, Zimmerman assured stakeholders that the Commission will adopt a fairly familiar process.
“This application process really won’t be significantly different [from the current casino licensing]. There are lots of folks who will be affiliated and associated with sports betting that will need to be licensed,” she informed the press after a meeting with Michael Leara, Executive Director of the Missouri Gaming Commission.
According to Amendment 2, December 1, 2025, is the latest day in which Missouri must launch sports betting. But if all goes to plan, the industry may debut in the state during one of the Missouri Gaming Commission meetings on May 28 or June 25.