Century Casinos on Monday became the first Missouri casino company to announce a national partner for sports betting in the state when it revealed a partnership with BetMGM. Century Casinos has two brick-and-mortar locations in Missouri and, according to a press release, BetMGM will be tethered to Century’s Hotel Cape Girardeau location.
Missouri voters legalized retail and digital sports betting last November, and the Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) is mandated to launch operators by Dec. 1. The agency opened an application window May 15, and operators tethered to casinos or professional sports teams must apply by Sept. 12 to guarantee launch by Dec. 1. Operators applying for either of the two digital-only licenses must apply by July 15.
Some national operators already have clear market access because their companies own physical casinos in Missouri. BallyBet has access through the Bally’s Kansas City Casino, Caesars Sportsbook through any of the three Caesars properties, and ESPN Bet through one of three Penn Entertainment properties. FanDuel has access via a national partnership with Boyd Gaming, which owns two land-based casinos in Missouri.
Will Century also partner with Bet365?
Other national operators, including DraftKings and Fanatics Sportsbook, have existing partnerships that could provide market access, though none has been announced.
Century Casinos has a partnership with Bet365 in Colorado, and the company could also partner with that operator in Missouri. According to the MGC, the state attorney general last fall interpreted the initiative language to mean that each casino location could have a digital partner. That means, for example, Century Casinos and Boyd Gaming could each have two, and Caesars and Penn could each have up to three.
According to the press release, BetMGM will pay Century Casinos a percentage of digital net revenue with a guaranteed minimum. BetMGM will also operate a retail sportsbook.
“We are excited to partner with BetMGM, a leading online sports betting and gaming entertainment company with a dynamic and innovative brand,” Erwin Haitzmann and Peter Hoetzinger, co-chief executive officers of Century Casinos, said via press release. “This partnership is another step forward in leveraging our Missouri licenses and delivering premium entertainment experiences for our customers.”
