The deadline to apply for stand-alone digital sports betting licenses in Missouri is today, and the Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) confirmed that DraftKings and FanDuel have applied.
There are two stand-alone digital licenses available. The state’s existing casinos and six professional sports teams will also have access to digital licenses. Those licenses require an operator to be partnered with one of the state’s six licensed casino operators or qualified teams.
The MGC has not indicated how many total digital licenses it will issue. Last fall, ahead of the election, the MGC said the state attorney general interpreted the initiative language to allow each land-based casino to have a partner. If that is the case, there could be up to 21 online platform licenses available.
Underdog has also submitted an application, but according to the MGC is it a “mobile” application versus an “untethered digital” application. Mobile applications require an operator to be partnered with a casino. BetMGM is the only company to have announced a partnership. It has a deal for market access through Century Casinos’ Hotel Cape Girardeau location.
Key suppliers have also already applied
The MGC also shared that key suppliers GeoComply and Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) have submitted applications. GeoComply provides geolocation services to digital sportsbooks and online gaming platforms, and GLI offers platform testing and compliance services. Both are partnered with many of the major U.S. sportsbooks.
Data provider Catalist, which compiles political data and has a national voter database, has also submitted a supplier application.
Today marks the first deadline in what will be a months-long application and vetting period in Missouri. The MGC previously said it will award the stand-alone mobile licenses by Aug. 15. Applicants will have a chance to appear before the MGC on Aug. 13.
The deadline for tethered mobile licenses is Sept. 12, but no date has been set for when those licenses will be awarded. Per the state’s new law, sports betting must go live by Dec. 1.
The regulator is promising that operators and suppliers who file applications timely will get “immediate consideration. Prompt attention will allow for temporary licenses to be issued as soon as possible and ensure that SW suppliers have the ability to properly test and certify any necessary systems and/or equipment by the sports wagering launch date of December 1, 2025.”
Several online sports betting platforms have market access via their own casino properties. Penn Entertainment, which operates ESPN Bet in partnership with ESPN, and Caesars Entertainment each operate three casinos in the state. Bally’s owns one casino and could use that skin for its Bally Bet platform.
Public comment period still open
The MGC is taking public comment on its draft sports betting regulations, and the window for written public comment is open until “the end of the day” Wednesday, according to a post on the MGC website. Interested parties can submit comments via this email address. The agency will hold a public hearing on the proposed rules Thursday at 10 a.m. local time.
Proposed rules were published in the June 16 Missouri Register.
