Sports betting in Missouri is two months away from going live on its constitutionally required date of Dec. 1, but first gambling companies and their employees must receive licenses to do business in the state.
The Missouri Gaming Commission received over 1,100 submissions in its latest round of applications, a spokesperson said. The state gambling regulator is vetting those applicants ahead of Oct. 22, when it will issue temporary licenses.
Those applications included 39 businesses seeking mobile, retail or supplier licenses. A mobile license allows an operator with a physical presence in the state to facilitate gambling through a website or app. A retail license permits a physical sportsbook through a casino, racetrack or stadium. A supplier license lets a third-party business provide software and data services to mobile and retail businesses.
Previously, the MGC announced in August that DraftKings and Circa Sports would receive Missouri’s two direct mobile licenses, also known as untethered licenses. These allow companies to conduct mobile sports wagering without partnering with a Missouri sports team or casino.
Business licensing timeline
The application period for mobile, retail and supplier licenses closed Sept. 12.
The Missouri Gaming Commission will issue temporary licenses to qualifying businesses on Oct. 22. These will allow businesses to begin testing their software and equipment before December. All licenses will be awarded at the same time so that no one has an unfair advantage.
Customers can begin creating accounts and depositing funds on Nov. 17.
“We are on process to be up and running on December 1,” said Jan Zimmerman, chair of the Missouri Gaming Commission.
Employee licenses
Companies that applied to operate sportsbooks in Missouri will need individual licenses for their employees.
There are two types of licenses for these workers. Level 1 licenses are needed for employees in management or other key positions at sportsbooks. Level 2 licenses are for lower-level employees who are involved with servicing and operating sports wagering equipment, like betting kiosks.
According to an MGC spokesperson, the top applicants for Level 2 licenses were BetMGM, which applied for 300; Penn Sports Interactive, which applied for 227; and Underdog Sports, which applied for 181.
"The majority of those will get licenses," Zimmerman said, "because those numbers are not restricted."
Pro sports partnerships
Businesses currently under consideration for retail or mobile licenses would receive a tethered license, requiring them to partner with a Missouri casino or professional sports team.
Companies that already have gone public with partnerships are bet365, which partnered with the St. Louis Cardinals in March; FanDuel, which struck a deal with St. Louis City SC in August; and Underdog, which this week announced a partnership with the Kansas City Royals.
This leaves the Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Current and St. Louis Blues as the remaining Missouri pro franchises without an announced betting partner.
