Missouri’s long-awaited jump into legal sports betting arrived with more pageantry than anyone probably expected. Instead of a quiet “the switch is flipped” moment, the state got a full-on celebration, including hometown legends, packed retail books, and operators going out of their way to put on a show.
If you were anywhere near Kansas City or St. Louis on Dec. 1, you saw the impact immediately. Retail books were buzzing, lines were full, and for the first time, Missouri sportsbooks were actually open for business.
What really made it feel big were the faces attached to the launch. Operators pulled in every Missouri sports hero they could find, creating a surprisingly nostalgic and high-energy opening day. Here’s a look at who placed the ceremonial first bets, where they did it, and how each moment introduced the state’s new market.
Gordon & Maroon for Fanatics
Fanatics Sportsbook Missouri leaned into the “local legend” strategy at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City.
Royals icon Alex Gordon placed the first official ceremonial wager. Fans packed into Fanatics’ newly redesigned 2,000-square-foot retail space, which feels more like a mini-arena than a standard casino book.
Across the state at Ameristar St. Charles, former Blues forward Patrick Maroon handled the ceremonial duties there. Both openings went live at 4 p.m., and between watch parties, photo ops, and two different legends, Fanatics made sure launch day actually felt like a launch.
The welcome offer from Fanatics is one of my favorite Missouri sportsbook promos.
Gonzalez, Bruce & Hull Light Up St. Louis with DraftKings
If Fanatics went local, DraftKings Sportsbook Missouri went cinematic.
Their opening-day event at The Palladium in St. Louis felt like a Hall of Fame reception. They stacked three sports legends:
- Tony Gonzalez (Chiefs)
- Isaac Bruce (Rams)
- Brett Hull (Blues)
— and had all three place ceremonial first bets to officially christen their entry into Missouri.
Missouri House Speaker Jonathan Patterson was scheduled to speak, and DraftKings paired the event with a $50,000 donation to Veterans Community Project, which fights veteran homelessness throughout the state. It was a strong move and gave their launch a bit of purpose beyond the marketing flash.
DraftKings capped off its debut by landing on our list of the best Missouri betting apps.
Caesars Sends Okoye and Green Hit on Tour
Caesars Sportsbook Missouri (literally) left its footprint at multiple stops.
They started with Chiefs legend Christian Okoye placing a ceremonial first bet at Harrah’s Kansas City, then shifted to St. Louis where former Rams QB Trent Green opened Horseshoe St. Louis. After that, Green stopped at Harrah’s KC and Isle of Capri Boonville as part of a full launch-day tour.
It wasn’t as theatrical as the Palladium event, but it fit Caesars’ brand perfectly: steady, recognizable, and everywhere at once. And with bettors comparing options like Caesars, Fanatics, DraftKings, and BetMGM Sportsbook Missouri, launch day functioned almost like an operator showcase.
