JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri regulators on Thursday began accepting applications for sports betting in the state as they race to write rules and launch the program before the Dec. 1 deadline set in a voter-approved law.
The Missouri Gaming Commission this week voted to advance rules allowing wagering at casinos, near sports stadiums and online. State application forms went live Thursday. The commission plans to finalize rules by Aug. 30 and hit a Dec. 1 deadline to begin allowing sports bets.
After Missouri voters in November narrowly approved joining many other states in legalizing sports betting, there was some hope it could launch before football season or during the end of baseball season.
But new Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected the commission’s bid to use emergency rulemaking to expedite the process. Hoskins had derailed sports betting legislation while he was a state senator by insisting on tying it to bills legalizing slot machines outside of casinos.
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The voter-approved law will allow licenses for in-person sports betting at the state’s 13 existing casinos and in a district near a major professional sports arena, such as Busch Stadium. The major sports teams also would be allowed to license a branded online platform. There will be two online-only licenses. FanDuel and DraftKings, which dominate the nationwide sports betting marketplace, largely financed last year’s campaign to pass the sports betting ballot measure. It won with just 50.05% of the statewide vote.
Missouri gambling regulators said applications for physical sports books need to be submitted by Sept. 12 in order to launch on Dec. 1. Applications for the online-only licenses are due July 15, and a hearing on their proposals before the Gaming Commission is scheduled for Aug. 13.
The commission said it will select the two online licensees by Aug. 15. But they will not be allowed to begin accepting wagers until the other rules are finalized Nov. 30, meaning they will have the same start date as physical sports book operators, said Gaming Commission Executive Director Mike Leara.
Missourians will be asked to decide whether to legalize sports betting when they vote on Amendment 2 in November.