Missouri launched legal online sports betting on December 1, 2025, becoming the 39th US state with a regulated online market. The launch followed voter approval of Amendment 2 in November 2024, which legalised both online and retail wagering after years of debate over tax rates and oversight.
Regulators granted licences to nine operators, with eight live at launch: DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, bet365, Fanatics Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, theScore Bet and Circa Sports. Anyone 21 or older physically located in the state can bet, and residency is not required. Sportsbooks pay a 10% tax on adjusted gross revenue, a rate at the lower end of the US range.
Missouri matters as a marker of how far US expansion has run. With 39 states live, roughly 65% of the US population now has access to legal online sports betting, up from about 40% during the 2022 World Cup, per Fox Sports. That reach is one reason US books are projecting record volume for the 2026 World Cup.
The remaining prizes are large and politically difficult. California, Texas and Florida between them hold a quarter of the US population, and none offers a settled competitive online market. For operators, the easy expansion is over. Growth now depends on cross-selling casino where it is legal and defending share in mature states.