FanDuel announced that it has undergone a round of layoffs, which is expected to cut hundreds of jobs from the company’s 5,000 employees.The exact number of the...
Nine operators apply for licenses ahead of Missouri’s sports betting launch
Nine sportsbook operators have applied to the Missouri Gaming Commission ahead of the state’s September 12 deadline, all aiming to launch mobile betting on December 1.
DraftKings and Circa have already received untethered licenses, which allow them to operate without needing a casino or team partner. The other seven—FanDuel, Caesars, bet365, BetMGM, ESPN BET, Fanatics, and Underdog—are still under review. Temporary approvals are expected next month. Any applications sent after the September 12 cut-off may miss the December launch date.
Each operator used a different path to enter the market. FanDuel partnered with St. Louis CITY SC, since it didn’t receive one of the two untethered licenses. BetMGM teamed up with Century Casinos, while bet365 secured access through the St. Louis Cardinals. Caesars and ESPN BET are relying on their parent companies’ Missouri casinos, with plans to open retail sportsbooks in St. Louis and Kansas City.
Fanatics is joining through Boyd Gaming, giving it both mobile betting rights and retail books at Boyd’s Ameristar casinos in St. Louis and Kansas City. Underdog, best known for fantasy sports, also filed an application but has not yet revealed its market access partner.
In total, nine operators submitted applications: bet365, BetMGM, Circa, Caesars, DraftKings, ESPN BET, Fanatics, FanDuel, and Underdog. For now, only DraftKings and Circa have been officially licensed.
The ballot measure passed last year still allows more operators to apply, though it’s unclear if others will take part. Bally Bet has access through Bally’s Kansas City casino but hasn’t confirmed its plans. Hard Rock and BetRivers, both active in Illinois, didn’t apply, and would need local partners to enter Missouri.
Once the market opens, Missouri bettors will see most of the major players that already handle more than 90% of U.S. betting volume. FanDuel and DraftKings together make up about two-thirds of the national market, and both told regulators they expect similar results in Missouri. BetMGM, Caesars, ESPN BET, and Fanatics are also preparing large marketing campaigns for launch.
Circa is taking a different route, using its untethered license to focus on high-stakes bettors rather than big advertising pushes. At the same time, Underdog is moving beyond fantasy into full sportsbook operations, building on its brand with recent launches in other states like North Carolina.
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