Missouri has passed an amendment to its constitution that will allow sports gambling within its state. This has opened the doors for new betting operators. In the text below, we discuss the changes both here and elsewhere on the globe.
On Tuesday, November 5, 2025, residents of Missouri voted to allow online sports betting in the state. This follows a host of changes in the US and around the world, including South America, Australia, and Europe, that have allowed the introduction of wagering through digital means.
Changes to Amendment 2
Known as Amendment 2, the vote will change the constitution so that sports teams and local casinos can offer gambling on the outcome of sporting events. This was decided by a very narrow margin of 50.1% to 49.9% in favor of the yes vote.
This follows a change two years ago in the neighboring state of Kansas that saw the introduction of legalized and regulated sports betting. The campaign was backed by a program named Winning for Missouri Education and was supported by the biggest sports teams in the state. It is estimated that donations from the biggest online gambling operators raised $40 million. Led by the St. Louis Cardinals, 340,000 names had been collected to place the measure on a ballot. Previous attempts had stalled and collapsed due to disagreements.
The measure has granted permission to several sports teams who will be able to receive bets on games and other events. These include the City Chiefs, City Royals, and City Current in Kansas, along with the Blues, Cardinals, and City SC in St. Louis. Operators of casinos will be granted a license that also includes the provision of two online operator licenses.
Changes Across the US and Further
All eyes will soon be on Missouri, particularly from the biggest gambling companies, who will be competing for one of the few licenses on offer. Companies such as Sportsbet have huge followings elsewhere on the globe, with the systems in place to provide great service from the get-go. These include a range of markets and attractive odds, as they have provided in the United Kingdom and Australia.
However, there will undeniably be a host of homegrown companies alongside SportsBet, who are looking to cement their reputation closer to home. These companies will have been waiting for the change in legislation that will allow them to operate in these previously forbidden areas of US soil. Similar votes in Florida and California in 2022 were thwarted, essentially stagnating the growth of online betting in the US for a few years at least.
Operators such as Draftkings and Fanduel, already huge in the US, are expected to apply for licenses. Two standalone mobile licenses will also be offered, which could lure in newer sites like SportsBet. One more was planned, but amendment 5, which would have seen an additional license, did not pass.
It is not just Missouri that has welcomed new betting facilities either. In Petersburg, Virginia, voters turned out to decide the fate of a potential new casino. Of its citizens, an overwhelming 81.5% to 18.5% voted yes to the proposals. In Arkansas, the opposite was true. Pope City was to be the suggested location for a brand new casino. Proposed by the Cherokee Nation, it was the end of a long legal battle in the courts, which was rejected by just 10%.
Missouri Law and the Arrival of Sports Betting
Under Missouri law, amendments can come into effect no sooner than 30 days after an election. This means that sports betting will be legal as of December 1st, 2024. After this, a period where the laws and rules are put into place will follow. This means that the huge potential revenue scoop that is the Superbowl will be missed, as this takes place in February. There are plenty of operators who have tried to fastrack this throughout the country, but to little avail.
The state itself has placed a 10% tax on sports revenue. The concept is that this tax will go directly into education. It will fund public schools and higher education facilities. However, even this rate has raised detractors who say it is too lenient. Missouri State Sen. Denny Hoskins says that it is too low and will not be enough to solve the problem of gambling. This is approximately a part of the funds going towards a Compulsive Gambling Prevention Fund.
The only casino and gambling operator that opposed the measure was Caesars Entertainment, which funded an opposing campaign to the tune of $14 million. This is presuably because they fear they will lose revenue, being the only major operators currently in the area.
The gambling sector is growing quickly in the US, with more sports teams forging closer alliances with gambling companies. It remains to be seen how this will impact regulations both in gambling and sports in the near future. However, Missouri could be an example of how to implement these changes or how not to do it, depending on the outcome.