The Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) has awarded its first temporary online sports betting licenses to nine applicants, including the big five market leading US sportsbooks FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Fanatics, and Caesars.
On Wednesday, the MGC also awarded provisional online licenses to the chasing pack of bet365, ESPN Bet, Underdog, and Circa Sports.
Seven of the licenses awarded were of the tethered variety
Seven of the licenses awarded were of the tethered variety, with FanDuel partnering with MLS team St. Louis City SC, BetMGM with state-owned Century Casino, Caesars with its Harrah’s Kansas City and Horseshoe St. Louis casinos, and ESPN Bet with Penn’s Hollywood Casino and River City Casino.
Underdog’s market access comes via the Kansas City Royals, bet365’s via St. Louis Cardinals, and Fanatics’ via Boyd Gaming’s Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City and Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St. Charles.
DraftKings and Circa Sports, meanwhile, were awarded untethered online sports betting licenses for Missouri.
On Wednesday, the MGC also dished out retail sports betting licences to Fanatics, Caesars, and Penn – which are attached to their respective Ameristar, Harrah’s/Horseshoe, and Hollywood/River City brick-and-mortar casino relationships.
The uptick in activity comes ahead of Missouri rolling out legal sports betting on midnight December 1.
