Sports betting likely won’t start in Missouri until summer

Sunday, January 12, 2025 10:22 AM
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  • Steve Kraske, Elizabeth Ruiz and Zach Wilson, KCUR radio

Amendment 2, passed by Missouri voters in November, mandates that sports betting be operational in the state by December 2025.

But Jan Zimmerman, chair of the Missouri Gaming Commission —which is tasked with implementing the emergency rules, regulations and licensing — told KCUR’s Up To Date she expects wagers to be placed by summer. “There’s some advantages, I guess, to being relatively late to the game,” Zimmerman said.

Missouri is taking advantage of knowledge from other agencies across the country, but Zimmerman said there are challenges because Missouri is bound by the language of the initiative petition.

The Missouri Gaming Commission first needs to create regulations, which require approval by the Governor and Secretary of State. After a 30-day public input period, the state can begin issuing gambling licenses.