When Missouri allows licensed sportsbooks to begin taking wagers on Dec. 1, it will join about three-quarters of the states in the country in allowing adults to bet online and/or in-person via legal, regulated operators.
However, a state-by-state approach to sports betting expansion has meant each state has established its own gaming regulations.
This has led to states setting tax rates that range from 6.75% in Iowa to 51% in New York. Most states limit sports betting, as Missouri sportsbooks will do, to individuals age 21 and older. Kentucky is one of a few states where 18-year-olds can wager legally.
Rules | Missouri | Kansas | Illinois | Iowa |
Legal Betting Age | 21+ | 21+ | 21+ | 21+ |
Legal Betting Locations | Online, Retail | Online, Retail | Online, Retail | Online, Retail |
Revenue Tax Rate | 10% | 10% | 15-40%* | 6.75% |
Legal Betting Options | College & Professional | College & Professional | Out-of-state College & Professional | Limited College & Professional |
College Player Prop Bets | Illegal In-State Colleges; Legal Out-of-State Colleges | Legal | Illegal In-State Colleges; Legal Out-of-State Colleges | Illegal In-State Colleges; Legal Out-of-State Colleges |
As we draw closer to the launch of legal online Missouri sports betting apps, BetMissouri.com is here to break down the differences between Missouri’s wagering rules and those in neighboring states that have legal sportsbook markets operating. Seven of the eight states that border Missouri have legalized sports betting, but we’re focusing on three states that have primarily drawn Show-Me State bettors over the years: Illinois, Iowa and Kansas.
When sports betting starts in Missouri, residents can bet on a wide array of sporting events, providing they are physically located within state boundaries. That includes many so-called proposition bets, which are tied to a specific outcome within the game. Prop bets also include markets on player performance, such as “Will Patrick Mahomes throw for 250 yards?”
Prop bets have come under fire because of game-manipulation concerns. Two Cleveland Guardians pitchers were placed on leave during the baseball season as the MLB investigated regarding bets placed on the outcome of the first pitch in a specific inning.
There have also been concerns about player safety. Numerous pro and college athletes have received threats and other hateful messages from purported bettors about lost wagers. The NCAA has urged states to ban player prop bets on student-athletes – states such as Louisiana, Maryland and Ohio have agreed to do so.
In Ohio, gaming regulators there found that college player prop bets made up less than 1.5% of the first year’s handle in the Buckeye State.
Missouri’s rules ban college-player prop bets on games involving an in-state team. So, bettors will not be able to wager on a Missouri Tigers football player scoring a touchdown or a Saint Louis Billikens basketball player scoring 20 points. However, Missouri will allow those wagers for any college event that does not include an in-state school. This mirrors the college betting rules in Iowa and Illinois.
Neighboring Kansas, where college sports is a big market, allows wagers across the board.
See our Missouri sports betting handle projections as well.
At 10%, Missouri will have one of the lowest tax rates on sports betting operator revenue in the nation. Thanks to the way wagering was legalized, it’s very likely to remain that way.
Backers of the constitutional amendment legalizing sports betting set the rate at 10% in their referendum, which voters narrowly approved 11 months ago. That language is now in the constitution, so any changes will require an amendment.
In most other states, sports betting was legalized by the legislature. That includes Illinois, where the operator tax initially started at 15% when sports betting was legalized there in 2019. Last year, as the state faced a budget crunch, lawmakers raised the tax and implemented a progressive rate that started at 20% of revenue and increased to 40% for operators that earned more revenue.
This year, Illinois also implemented a 25-cent fee on each of the first 20 million wagers a state-licensed sportsbook accepts. Any bet accepted beyond that gets a 50-cent fee. Many Illinois operators have either directly passed that fee on to their customers, or set a $1 minimum bet price.
Missouri lawmakers had several chances to legalize sports betting in Jefferson City, only for the bills to die in the Senate. That inaction kept lawmakers from setting tax rates higher or having more of a say over how sports betting can operate in the state.
As the launch date gets closer, keep an eye on top Missouri sportsbook promotions at BetMissouri.com.
USA Today photo by Jeff Curry
Missouri’s sports betting market, set to launch on Dec. 1, 2025, will mirror many of its neighboring states but with a few notable differences. Like Kansas and Illinois, Missouri will allow both online and retail sports betting for anyone 21 and older. The tax rate will be 10%, aligning with Kansas but much lower than Illinois, which uses a tiered tax rate between 15% and 40% depending on operator revenue. A key distinction is college player prop betting — Missouri won’t allow it for games involving in-state teams, matching the restrictions in Illinois and Iowa. Kansas allows them freely.
Yes. When Missouri’s sports betting launches, bettors will be able to wager on college and professional sports. However, there are restrictions on college player prop bets, similar to what other states have implemented. For instance, Illinois and Iowa ban prop bets on in-state college athletes, while Kansas allows them. The constitutional amendment Missouri voters approved does not allow college player prop bets on events involving in-state teams.
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
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