With Missouri set to be the first state to launch legal sports betting since March 2024, at least two licensed operators are not only offering promotions to consumers, but are also giving back to Missouri communities.
Also, Underdog, which was approved to offer sports betting in the state, has withdrawn its license application, according to state regulators, to focus on prediction markets. The Underdog departure leaves the Kansas City Royals without a sports betting partner.
Sports betting platforms can go live as early at 12:01 a.m. on Monday. The Missouri Gaming Commission in October awarded licenses to 10 entities. Circa Sports and DraftKings were awarded untethered licenses while the other remaining seven licensees are tethered either to existing casinos or professional sports teams:
- bet365 (St. Louis Cardinals)
- BetMGM (Century Casinos)
- Caesars Sportsbook (Caesars Resorts)
- Fanatics Sportsbook (Boyd Gaming)
- FanDuel (MLS St. Louis SC)
- Kambi (unknown)
- Penn Entertainment (Penn Entertainment)
BetMGM, Caesars, Fanatics, and Penn Entertainment will also open retail sportsbooks.
FanDuel, DraftKings donations
FanDuel has donated $300,000 to “Guns ‘N Hoses,” a St. Louis event put on by The Backstoppers, which supports families of fallen first responders, a FanDuel spokesperson said. The event at the Enterprise Center, home of the St. Louis Blues, on Wednesday pits local police and firefighters against each other in the boxing ring. Guns ‘N Hoses has long had big community appeal, drawing as many at 15,000 people.
“FanDuel is deeply committed to supporting the communities where we operate, and as we prepare to launch our mobile sportsbook in Missouri on December 1, we are proud to be part of Guns ‘N Hoses,” FanDuel Director of Government Relations Jay Atkins said via email. “The event truly embodies the local spirit in St. Louis, and we are honored to recognize the sacrifices and courage of the first responder communities.”
DraftKings will make a $50,000 donation to the Veterans Community Project, which is dedicated to ending homelessness for veterans in Missouri. The funds will go to the project’s tiny homes initiative, which includes transitional housing, care, and services.
Launch plans
Here is a look at launch plans for most platforms.
bet365: Missouri residents can download the app, create accounts, and peruse the platform before the launch on Monday. Until Dec. 15, new customers can bet $10 to get $365 in bonus bets.
BetMGM: New Missouri customers can get up to $1,500 in bonus bets against a first bet with a minimum $10 deposit. Bonus bets expire within seven days. Customers who pre-register by Sunday can get an additional $100 in bonus bets with a $10 bet. These bonus bets also expire within seven days.
Caesars Sportsbook: The company will bring its NFL Flips game to Missouri in addition to offering several other promotions. New customers who register before Monday and fund their accounts with at least $5 can get five “profit boost tokens” with a maximum $25 bet and a minimum $5 deposit, and $150 in bonus bets on a winning first bet of at least $5. On launch day, new customers who place a bet of $5 or more can get up to $150 in bonus bets if the bet wins. The free-to-play NFL Flips contest began this week, and customers can win a share of a $100,000 bonus bet prize pool, which will be awarded Monday. For those still hopeful about the Chiefs, Caesars will be running a “Party Like a Caesar” Super Bowl promotion, which will give Missouri sports fans a chance to win a trip to Las Vegas for Super Bowl weekend. Every new user who places a bet of $5 or more on the Caesars Sportsbook app in Missouri before Jan. 4 will automatically be entered.
Celebrity first bets will be placed by former Kansas City Chiefs running back Christian Okoye (Harrah’s Kansas City) and former St. Louis Rams and Chiefs quarterback Trent Green (Horseshoe St. Louis) on Monday morning.
The Sportsbook at Horseshoe St. Louis will feature more than 1,200 square feet of space with 14 self-service betting kiosks and a dedicated betting counter. The Sportsbook at Harrah’s Kansas City will feature 15 self-service betting kiosks and a dedicated betting counter.
There will be no standalone sportsbook at Isle of Capri Boonville.
Circa Sports: It plans to go live at 12:01 a.m. on Monday. The company has no launch specials planned as of Wednesday.
DraftKings: The company plans to mark launch with ceremonial first bets by Missouri sports legends Tony Gonzalez, Isaac Bruce, and Brett Hull at the Palladium-St. Louis. DraftKings is an official sports betting partner of the Chiefs and official daily fantasy sports partner of the Blues.
Fanatics Sportsbook: The sportsbook company will hold ribbon-cutting ceremonies at 4 p.m., on Monday at the Ameristar St. Charles and Kansas City casinos. Celebrity guests will place ceremonial first bets.
The Fanatics Sportsbook at Ameristar Casino St. Charles will feature two betting windows, 12 self-service betting kiosks, 10 TV monitors and an LED video wall. Kansas City Sportsbook will also open on Monday, featuring three betting windows, 12 self-service betting kiosks, 10 TV monitors and an LED video wall.
Sports fans living in and visiting Missouri can download the sportsbook app on iOS and Android.
FanDuel: New customers in Missouri can get up to $400 in bonus bets by registering ahead of launch. Customers who pre-register will immediately get $100 in bonus bets and can get an additional $300 once wagering is live with a $5 bet.
Penn Entertainment: theScore Bet will be available to the United States for the first time since July 1, 2022, on Dec. 1. That includes Missouri. The brand will replace ESPN Bet as Penn’s sportsbook app.
Underdog Sports: The daily fantasy sports company retracted its sports betting application earlier this month, according to the Missouri Gaming Commission, because it wished to focus on prediction markets, which are not licensed at the state level.
