JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri residents can now pre-register for online sportsbooks.
Residents will not be able to officially place bets until Dec. 1, but sportsbooks are already competing for potential clients, offering promotions and bonuses.
Sports betting's legalization is the result of a 2024 measure that Missouri voters narrowly passed.
The amendment was explicit in its direction for the designation of revenue.
Christopher Boan of gambling.com has run estimates on seven states prior to their legalization of gambling. The website has been a leading authority regarding projections, and it estimates Missouri gamblers to generate a total handle of $3.88 billion during the first year of legalized sports betting.
Boan also said that in the states his organization have tracked, handle has increased year-over-year.
If these projections are correct and following funds allocated to operating costs and the state's Compulsive Gambling Protection Fund, state education funding should receive anywhere from $16 million to $28 million in funding.
The state has estimated generating up to $29 million.
Some have pointed to the easy access of gambling, worrying about a rise in sports gambling addiction.
A recent study from the University of San Diego said "Additional analyses suggest the opening of online, vs retail, sportsbooks corresponded with a larger increase in searches (for sports gambling addiction help)."
This conclusion rested on a rise in Google searches from 19 per 10 million to 36 per 10 million.
Any Missourians with a gambling problem are encouraged to seek aid.
