Sports betting will be coming to Missouri over the next couple of years. Whether that is 2020 or 2021 remains to be seen, as deliberations have been going on in the state legislature for the better part of three years. With the state’s two most populous towns, St. Louis and Kansas City, on borders of states that seem to be embracing sports betting at a higher level, it really is only a matter of time.
St. Louis is on the Illinois border and Illinois has already started taking legal wagers. Kansas is pretty close to polishing off a bill that will allow for both retail and online betting, which would make it extremely easy for residents of Kansas City to get their bets in. To the north, Iowa has been thriving in the sports betting realm. There comes a point in time when setting aside political differences and nitpicking over bill language is overwhelmed by the loss of revenue.
Missouri is going to reach that point sooner rather than later.
There has been a stalemate in the Missouri legislature for a variety of different reasons. Various bills have had different tax rates for the operators. The usual crutch for opponents of expanded gambling is the notion of gambling addiction and most bills do have a portion of revenue set aside for programs to help problem gamblers. That has been a topic of conversation as well.
Availability of betting to the masses has been part of the discussion as well, given that state’s gaming facilities are pretty spread out. There are casinos along both the eastern and western borders of the state, but most of the middle of Missouri would have a lengthy drive to get somewhere to place bets. As a result, mobile betting would likely make the cut with any final bill, but could require in-person registration, like we have seen in Illinois and Iowa.
Yet another sticking point in the discussion has been whether or not the lawmakers should have the power to approve sports betting or if it should be put to a vote. With several pro teams and Division I colleges in the state and a whole lot of sports fans, it sure seems like the voters would approve such a measure. If it comes down to the lawmakers or comes down to the constituents, it sure seems like sports betting is going to be legal in Missouri sometime soon.
The back-and-forth in Missouri has to be getting old for the voters that are following along. A lot of money is leaking across the border to Illinois and Iowa. Money will soon leak across the border to Kansas. Arkansas to the south does have legal sports betting, but only in retail form. More money is likely to leave the state when Tennessee, a state that shares an extremely small border with Missouri, adopts online wagering in 2020.
One nice thing about Missouri is that there are some casinos and some brick-and-mortar companies that will be ready to set up shop, but the language discussed in the majority of the bills includes the online-only sportsbooks like DraftKings, FanDuel, and potentially others like Fox Bet, theScore Bet, and PointsBet. There should be a lot of options in what projects to be a competitive market.
At some point, everybody will have to agree to a compromise in the Missouri legislature or just leave it up to the public to vote. When either one of those two things happens, Missouri will be another state with legalized sports betting.
How To Bet In Missouri
The 2020 legislative session came and went for the state of Missouri without a sports betting bill signed into law. The expectation is that 2021 will be a big year for the Show Me State with regards to legalized sports betting, so the wait should not be too much longer. For those that are willing to travel, there is no wait.
Neighboring states Illinois, Iowa and Tennessee have sports betting. Arkansas has sports betting, but only at retail locations, so it a lot less convenient to bet there than in Illinois, Iowa, or Tennessee, but it is still an option.
For now, the options for Missouri for those looking to bet on sports are Illinois and Iowa.
When Missouri does get started on the sports betting front, it will be with online and mobile wagering from the jump. Legislators had agreed to that much before COVID-19 took center stage with the important deliberations on the House and Senate floors.
Until that happens, however, Missourians can still get their bets in. They will just have to commute in order to do it. For those in St. Louis, the commute is easy. Because of the pandemic, Governor J.B. Pritzker in Illinois temporarily (and perhaps permanently) turned off the in-person registration requirement. We’ll explain more about that when we take a look at Illinois and also talk about why it will be a good thing when the calendar hits January 1, 2021 in the state of Iowa.
As mentioned, it is easy for St. Louis residents to get access to sports betting. For Kansas City on the western border of the state, it requires a drive north into Iowa because Kansas is not on board with sports betting yet. However, they, too, got stopped in their tracks by COVID-19. A sports betting bill got through the Senate in 2020, but was delayed in the House and there are still some particulars to hammer out. That process should be done early in 2021 as Kansas, like so many other years, needs an influx of cash post-pandemic and sports betting tax revenue will be a good one.
For now, the options for Missouri for those looking to bet on sports are Illinois and Iowa.
Illinois
Like we discussed, the in-person registration requirement has temporarily been lifted in the state of Illinois due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hope is that due to common sense, it will be lifted permanently. Illinois offers several sports betting options for those in Missouri, including DraftKings, BetRivers, PointsBet, Barstool, and William Hill, with more operators soon to come.
DraftKings Sportsbook at Casino Queen
How easy is it to legally bet on sports if you live in St. Louis? Extremely easy. From Gateway Arch National Park, you can basically see the Casino Queen. Located within the Casino Queen is the DraftKings Sportsbook at Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Illinois. Even if Illinois reapplies the in-person registration requirement, you can even walk across the Eads Bridge and then down South Front Street to get to the sportsbook and get signed up.
In the meantime, though, all you have to do is sign up and register your account remotely. Remote registration means that you can sign up and access your account from anywhere inside the state borders. Geolocation technology will ensure that you are in a legal jurisdiction for betting and then you will have access to your account.
You can get up to $1,000 with a deposit match bonus and a risk-free bet for signing up through us at ATS.
BetRivers
DraftKings Sportsbook at Casino Queen is not the only option, though, at least as long as the in-person registration requirement is lifted or you are willing to drive a little bit it if is reactivated. BetRivers has a retail sportsbook in Des Plaines, Illinois, just outside of Chicago proper. BetRivers was actually the first sportsbook to set up shop and take a wager in the state of Illinois.
They offer a 100% Deposit Match Bonus up to $250 for new sign-ups and fair odds that allow for good competition with the DFS turned sports betting operators.
PointsBet
PointsBet Sportsbook opened its retail location at Hawthorne Race Course in Cicero, Illinois on September 30, 2020. PointsBet is gaining steam as one of the major players in U.S. sports betting. Their unique PointsBetting system features higher risk, but higher reward and they offer tons of daily and weekly promotions for all users.
Two sign-up bonuses are available with a 100% Deposit Match Bonus up to $250 and up to $1,500 in risk-free bets for bigger depositors, which includes a risk-free bet on your first fixed odds wager and a risk-free bet on your first PointsBetting wager.
Barstool (Penn National)
The Argosy Casino in Alton is another good option for those in St. Louis as this is a riverboat that sits on the mighty Mississippi about 25 minutes north of St. Louis and right on the state border. This was originally a Penn National location, but with the merger of Barstool and Penn National, this will be branded as a Barstool Sportsbook.
Barstool and Penn National also operate the sportsbook at the Hollywood Casino Joliet, again on the outskirts of Chicago.
As Barstool gains more traction in the market, we’ll see what bonuses they have to offer.
William Hill
William Hill has set up shop at the Grand Victoria Casino located right on the Fox River in Elgin, Illinois. William Hill and Caesars recently completed a huge acquisition deal, so this will become a Caesars sportsbook at some point, but it is William Hill for now. The global leader in sports betting offers $10 for free simply for registering and then a Deposit Match bonus up to $500.
Iowa
Iowa is no longer an in-person registration state as of January 1, 2021, so you dont have to visit the retail sportsbooks to activate your account anymore. Now its a lot easier for Iowans and those in neighboring states to get on board and start wagering if they could simply sign up and deposit from anywhere.
There are multiple operators in Iowa, including some local ones like the Q Casino that operates its own sportsbook and the Elite Casinos that do the same through Bet.Works. There are also some industry heavy hitters as well, including FanDuel, who has not yet launched a mobile app, and Unibet, who is waiting until remote registration ends to start an app. Find out more how to bet in Iowa here.
DraftKings
DraftKings Sportsbook set up shop through the Wild Rose Casinos in Iowa. They launched in February 2020 and even accept PayPal as a deposit method. DraftKings is the most popular sports betting app in Iowa and the sign-up bonus remains the same with up to $1,000 in a deposit match bonus and a risk-free bet.
PointsBet
PointsBet is also very popular in Iowa through its license with Catfish Bend Casino in Burlington. The Australia-based operator actually started in the United States in New Jersey, but made Iowa its second state of operations in November 2019. The same deposit bonus from Illinois applies here as well with a Deposit Match Bonus up to $250 or up to $1,500 in risk-free bets.
William Hill
The first sportsbook app to launch in Iowa was William Hill, who has licensing through multiple properties. In states with remote registration, sportsbooks really only need one license and one brick-and-mortar partner. In Iowa, where users have to commute to the sportsbook in order to register their accounts, we see more locations for the different operators.
William Hill has partners with the Riverside Casino & Golf Resort, Rhythm City Casino, and the Grand Falls Casino. Their sign-up bonus is also the same with a $10 Free Bet just for registering and then a Deposit Match Bonus up to $500. These William Hill books will also become Caesars sportsbooks with the September acquisition deal.
Hard Rock
There is a Hard Rock betting app in Iowa through the company’s license with its Hard Rock Sioux City property. This one is still trying to gain some steam in the market, but its location in one of Iowa’s bigger cities has helped with the in-person registration requirement.
Summary
Even though Missouri has not yet adopted its own sports betting legislation, there are a lot of options across Iowa and Illinois. Iowa will become even easier to use for sports betting on January 1, 2021 when the in-person registration requirement is relaxed and Illinois should be seeing how beneficial it is to not have that requirement since it has been lifted as well.
If nothing else, take a Sunday drive and get set up at these sportsbooks and make sure that you use the exclusive bonus offers from us at ATS to get you started.
How Do I Bet on Sports in Missouri?
You’ll have to be patient for the opportunity to bet on sports in your home state if you live in Missouri, but it will be happening in either 2020 or 2021, barring a complete debacle.
For now, there are a couple of really good options. Residents of St. Louis already know this because they have probably been participating for a while, but the state of Illinois takes mobile and online wagering. In-person registration is required through 2020, but if you want to bet and you can’t do it at home, you will make that drive to get signed up and set up a bankroll.
Iowa is another state that has similar regulations to Illinois. You’ll have to find a brick-and-mortar book and get signed up, but once you do, you can bet in Iowa. Geofencing technology forces you to be at least 60 yards inside of the border before you can access your accounts, but that, too, is a small price to pay for being able to legally bet on sports.
If you are so inclined, you can go down to Arkansas and bet in-person at the retail sportsbooks in the state.
At this point, it seems like Kansas will approve sports betting quicker than Missouri, so those in Kansas City will be able to do that at either the Hollywood Casino about 15 minutes from the Missouri border or just use their online capabilities because any bill approved in Kansas will allow for online and mobile sports betting.
While you have to leave the state for now, that seems temporary in the Show Me State. We just need the legislature to “Show Me” that they can come to an agreement that would truly benefit all members of the state and increase the state’s budget.
How To Create Your Sports Betting Account:
- Create A Sportsbook Account – First step is to create a sports betting account at a legal sportsbook, below we have 3 of the best sportsbooks available. You do NOT have to be located in Illinois to register!
- Fund Your Account – Use your Visa, MC, Paypal and more to Take advantage of one of the promotions below and deposit. Again you do not need to be in the state to deposit!
- Game Day Drive – To make a bet just take a short drive over the St Louis boarder to Illinois to place a bet! That simple….
Sportsbooks Located In Illinois For Missouri Sports Bettors:
Because of quarantines and lockdowns and shutdowns and just the general health and well-being of the public, Pritzker made the decision to put an end to that requirement. As a result, you can sign up and get registered for a sports betting account from anywhere in the state of Illinois. The key phrase being “in the state of Illinois” because you do have to be physically present in the state at time of wagering to gain access to your real money account.
The eastern border of Missouri is separated from the border of Illinois by the mighty Mississippi River. There are plenty of crossing points, whether by bridge or by boat, that can be used in order to slide across the state lines and suddenly be eligible to bet on sports.
For residents of St. Louis, this is remarkably easy. After all, you can even see a casino in Illinois from the Gateway Arch!
The fact is that St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, and the other major cities in Missouri won’t have to wait long to bet on sports within their own state. The State Senate approved a bill in February 2020 that hit the backburner in the House because of COVID-19. But, why wait if you don’t have to? Why not wager on this NFL season, this college football season, the MLB playoffs, the start of college basketball? Why wait until 2021?
Our focus in this article is on St. Louis, specifically, because of the close proximity to the border and the population of the city, but we have tips on how everybody in Missouri can get their legal sports bets in.
Here is how to bet on sports if you live in St. Louis:
DraftKings Sportsbook at Casino Queen
East St. Louis happens to be on the other side of the Mississippi River in Illinois, but the Casino Queen is literally visible from the Gateway Arch and even within walking distance if you want to get some steps in. A quick jaunt over the Eads Bridge and a right-hand turn on S. Front Street will take you right to the doors of the Casino Queen. There you will find a DraftKings Sportsbook.
For now, with the in-person requirement lifted, you don’t even have to set foot inside the casino. You simply have to get across the state border, sign up, deposit, and start betting. But, if the requirement is reactivated, this is an easy route to go.
DraftKings Sportsbook is an industry leader across the board and that is true of the state of Illinois as well. You can get up to $1,000 in a sign-up bonus through us at ATS that comes via a Deposit Match Bonus and a risk-free bet.
BetRivers Sportsbook
BetRivers is a little bit farther away in Des Plaines, Illinois, which is out by Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. BetRivers Sportsbook actually took the first legal wager in the state of Illinois. They are a fixture across the Midwest and the Rust Belt as one of the top regional sportsbooks in those areas, even though they are pushing towards being a national sportsbook as well.
Fair odds and a great betting experience await with the BetRivers app or the online website. A Deposit Match Bonus up to $250 also awaits if you sign up through us at ATS.
PointsBet Sportsbook
PointsBet Sportsbook opened its doors at the Hawthorne Race Course in Cicero, Illinois just before the end of September 2020. They have trotters at that race track, so even if the in-person registration requirement comes back, you can go enjoy a day of racing while activating and validating your account.
PointsBet is one of the most aggressive sportsbooks in the industry with regards to promotions and the unique and trailblazing PointsBetting system that has a higher-risk, higher-reward setup that is based on how right or wrong you are on a game is a major draw.
There are two different bonus offers so you can pick the one that is right for you. The first is a 100% Deposit Match Bonus up to $250 and the second is up to $1,500 in risk-free bets, with one on your first fixed odds wager and another on your first PointsBetting wager. If you are a smaller depositor, then the Deposit Match Bonus is for you. If you are a bigger depositor, try the risk-free bets.
Barstool (Penn National)
The Barstool-branded Sportsbook is coming soon so learn How To Bet On Sports In Illinois Now! Penn National has licenses through the Argosy Casino in Alton, which is very close to the St. Louis area, and the Hollywood Casino Joliet closer to Chicago. The Barstool Sportsbook will be a big draw from St. Louis to the Argosy riverboat that lies on the Mississippi just a little bit north of the city. This will be another fine option and we are sure to see some big Barstool offers when they get up and running.
Summary
It is very easy to gain access to sports betting if you live in St. Louis because of the city’s excellent geographic location. All it takes is a little bit of a commute to get signed up and the bonus offers for these sportsbooks are certainly worth your while and your time.
