Missouri Online Sports Betting

Missouri is an example of what ‘average’ America looks like, with an interesting mix of cultures, races and ideologies.

In that framework, Missouri may follow what happens across the United States as the winds of change of legal sports betting sweeps across the nation driven by the success of sports betting sites throughout the country.

Sports betting legalization bills have already been under discussion in Missouri.

Efforts to pass legalized sports betting fell short in 2022 when a compromise between the two chambers of the legislature failed. The Missouri House spent months crafting legislation to pass onto the Senate, but that bill never made it to a full vote in the upper chamber.

On March 20th 2023, Bill HB 556 was passed by the MO State House of Representatives with a vote of 118-35. The bill is now headed to the state Senate where it will wait for a committee assignmnet.

Latest Update: Senate Hoskins, a Republic senator in Missouri has stalled the passage of a sports betting bill in the Missouri senate.

The state of Missouri offers its residents and visitors a nice choice of legal gaming options; Horse Racing (with interesting rules – see below in ‘Horse Racing in Missouri’ section) DFS, casinos, live poker, a state lottery and charitable gambling.

Missouri’s State Gambling Tax is one of the lowest in the United States at 4% on gambling winnings.

Large gambling wins over $600 in the state of Missouri may possibly attract an additional Federal Tax.

Contact your tax attorney to assess your potential Federal tax liability if you have a big win in Missouri.

As Sports Betting is not yet available in Missouri, legal gambling ages stick to a prescribed model that many other states follow (i.e. legal casino gambling age of 21, and 18 years-of-age for all other legal forms of gaming)

Missouri residents and visitors currently do not have betting on sports as a legal option, however, that could all change soon.

In February 2022, the Missouri House convened a special committee to tackle a compromise bill for the many pieces of legislation that legalized sports betting. That bill was eventually sent to the Senate where it was unable to be combined with the legislation in that chamber. There is hope that in 2023, the state will approve legal sports betting at Missouri’s 13 casinos as well as up to 40 online sportsbooks.

In Missouri, sports betting online is illegal as it is currently unlicensed and unregulated in the state. Until the topic has been debated by the state’s legislators, Section 527.020 of the Missouri Revised Statutes states clearly and concisely that it is a Class C misdemeanor to participate in gambling as a player outside of licensed facilities.

In the meantime, online DFS is all perfectly legal for visitors and residents and visitors in Missouri until the legislators give the legal green light for loyal fans to place a legal wager on the Royals or the Chiefs.

Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) competitions are understood and interpreted by U.S. Federal Laws not to be games of chance, and conversely, considered to games of skill and knowledge. Therefore, at the Federal level of government, DFS competitions ARE NOT considered to be gambling. Federal lawmakers have encouraged each state to seek their own position on the legality of DFS competitions.

In 2016, Missouri’s legislators did precisely that, and passed HB1941 into law that June. The bill authorized and regulated DFS in the state, and subsequently, all major DFS sites accept players from Missouri for their real money betting competitions.

Once sports betting lands in fully-legalized Missouri sportsbooks, wagering on eSports will appeal to a new breed and generation of gamblers who are looking for contemporary transparent sports betting options untarnished by the less glorious days of the illegal past.

eSports – What is it?

eSports (also called competitive gaming) is an emerging genre of entertainment where professional gamers play video games against each other on computers or consoles in front of a live or online audience. They are a big deal that has developed from a once underground gaming community to become a mainstream sport, now growing at a never-before-seen rate. Globally, players compete in tournaments offering prize pools worth up to millions of dollars. Many of these team-based competitions attract enormous global audiences, both live and online through vastly improved live video streaming technology.

The betting interest in eSports is increasing daily, directed related to the amount of prize money on offer in the tournaments. Many international sportsbooks now offer markets on the major competitive global eSports tournaments.

Dota 2, Legend of Legends and Fortnite, are some of the most popular games, and big pro teams are battling it out for glory as gamblers around the world (and in 2019 in Missouri?) cash in on the betting action.

In a triumph for legislation over common sense, ironically, betting at live horse racing tracks is legal in Missouri, however, the state isn’t home to any live tracks. Horse racing betting in Missouri was legalized in 1984, however, few available simulcast betting options saw the live tracks struggling to attract an audience and a profit, and the last of Missouri live horse racing tracks saw action in the early 1990’s.

Trackside

Horse Racing is legal in Missouri; however, no tracks have operated since the 1990’s.

Off Track Betting (OTB) in Missouri

Off-track betting is also legal, but only permitted on live race days, where and when there is a live race.

Online Horse Racing in Missouri

Similarly, online betting on horse racing is also legal, but also must only take place on live racing days in Missouri. The end result means, that although all forms of horse racing betting are technically legal in Missouri, there is no legal avenue to bet on a horse race in Missouri.

We will advise if there are any updates on the topic forthcoming from the almost defunct Missouri Horse Racing Commission as they come to hand.

Visit our page for Missouri’s Online Gambling Laws to find our list of the best online casino reviews for the state