American Gambling Markets Atlas (AGMA)

States / Missouri

Missouri

More detail
  • Casinos. Missouri has 13 commercial riverboat casinos, with no tribal gaming. They are taxed at 21% of adjusted gross receipts.
  • Sports betting. Voters narrowly approved sports wagering via constitutional Amendment 2 in November 2024. Mobile and retail sports betting launched December 1, 2025 with 16 operators under a 10% tax. The handle was enormous, but almost no net tax revenue came in during the opening months because of uncapped promotional deductions.
  • Lottery. The state lottery is dedicated to education.
  • Fantasy sports. Daily fantasy sports are licensed.
  • Gray-market slot machines. Missouri has no iGaming, online poker, or VGT law. Thousands of unregulated "gray market" slot machines (led by Torch Electronics) have operated in bars and gas stations for years. A federal judge ruled them illegal gambling devices in February 2026. The AG forced Torch to shut down in April 2026. A video lottery terminal bill to license and regulate the machines passed the House but stalled in the Senate.
  • Prediction markets. In September 2026 the Attorney General sent cease-and-desist letters to six prediction-market operators (Kalshi, Polymarket, Crypto.com, Robinhood, Underdog, Novig). The letters cite unlicensed sports event contracts.

Reviewed Oct 11, 2026 · 34 sources

Legal status

LiveLegal, not launchedLimitedContestedProhibitedNot authorizedRepealedNA
VerticalStatusLaunchedModelDetails
Sports (online)LiveDec 1, 2025CompetitiveUp to 14 online "master licenses"/skins exist; 16 total licensees launched (14 tethered, plus DraftKings and Circa Sports as online-only), each paying an online license fee set by the Commission of up to $500,000. Uncapped promotional-expense deductions produced near-zero net tax in month one.
Mo. Const. art. III, § 39(g) (Amendment 2, 2024)
[1],[2],[3],[4]
Sports (retail)LiveDec 1, 2025CompetitiveUp to 19 retail licenses are tied to the 13 casinos plus professional sports venues, with a retail license fee set by the Commission of up to $250,000.
Mo. Const. art. III, § 39(g) (Amendment 2, 2024)
[1],[3],[4]
Online casinoNot authorizedNo statute authorizes online casino games; Chapter 572/573 general gambling prohibitions apply outside licensed riverboat casinos.[5]
Online pokerNot authorizedNo licensing statute for real-money online poker.[5]
Commercial casinosLiveMay 27, 1994Competitive13 riverboat ("boat in a moat") casinos; first boat (Station Casino St. Charles) opened May 27, 1994. Taxed at 21% AGR; $2 per-person admission fee split $1 state / $1 home dock city or county.
Mo. Rev. Stat. ch. 313 (Excursion Gambling Boats)
[1],[6],[7]
Tribal casinosNot authorizedNo federally recognized tribes with Missouri land base operate Class III gaming in the state.[1]
LotteryLiveJan 20, 1986Monopoly StateVoters created the lottery via a 1984 constitutional amendment carving a state-lottery exception into the Mo. Const. art. III, § 39 general ban on lotteries ("Except as otherwise provided in section 39(b)...to authorize lotteries or gift enterprises for any purpose"); sales began January 20, 1986, with a single Scratchers game ("Jackpot '86"). Proceeds went to General Revenue until voters approved Amendment 11 on Nov. 3, 1992, earmarking 100% of net proceeds for public education starting FY1994.
Mo. Rev. Stat. ch. 313 (State Lottery); Mo. Const. art. III, § 39(b) (lottery exception)
[8],[9],[10]
iLotteryNot authorizedNo statute authorizes online sale of draw-game or e-instant tickets by the Missouri Lottery.[8]
Daily fantasyLiveSep 8, 2016CompetitiveSigned by Gov. Nixon June 10, 2016; MGC emergency rule effective September 8, 2016. College/amateur-competition contests prohibited; minimum age 18.
Missouri Fantasy Sports Consumer Protection Act, HB 1941 (2016)
[11],[12]
VGTs / VLTsContestedNo video-lottery-terminal statute exists. A 2026 House bill that would have created a Lottery-licensed VGT program for the same unregulated gray-market machines operating in bars and gas stations narrowly passed the House but stalled in the Senate.[13]
Historical horse racingNot authorizedNo statute authorizes HHR terminals in Missouri.[14]
Sweepstakes casinosContestedNo Missouri statute explicitly bans dual-currency sweepstakes casinos; operators rely on the "no purchase necessary" sweepstakes exemption (RSMo § 408.815) and argue free play removes "consideration" under the Ch. 572 gambling definition. A private suit, Killham v. Stake (Sweepstakes Limited), was filed October 27, 2025 in Jackson County Circuit Court. AG Hanaway's 2026 enforcement to date has targeted physical gray-market slot machines, not online sweepstakes casinos.[15],[16]
Prediction marketsContestedAG Catherine Hanaway sent cease-and-desist letters September 18, 2026 to Kalshi, Polymarket, Crypto.com, Robinhood, Underdog, and Novig, asserting sports "event contracts" are unlicensed sports wagering under Amendment 2 and ordering operators to obtain an MGC license or stop offering sports contracts to Missourians within 30 days. Operators argue CFTC-regulated contracts are exclusively federally preempted. PrizePicks (not a letter recipient) suspended its Team Picks sports-contract product in Missouri.[17],[18]
Skill gamesContestedThousands of unregulated "no-chance"/skill-based slot-style machines (led by Torch Electronics) have operated in bars, gas stations and convenience stores for years. A federal judge ruled in February 2026 that the machines are illegal gambling devices under state law notwithstanding "No Chance Games" marketing. The AG's office pressured Torch into suspending all Missouri operations in April 2026 under threat of criminal prosecution. A House bill to let the Lottery license and regulate the machines as video lottery terminals narrowly passed the House in 2026 but stalled in the Senate.[19],[13],[20]
Card roomsNot authorizedPoker/card rooms outside the 13 licensed riverboat casinos are not authorized; Chapter 572 RSMo general gambling prohibition applies.[5]
Lottery couriersNot authorizedThird-party lottery couriers (Jackpocket, Lotto.com) do not operate in Missouri; the Missouri Lottery does not sell tickets online, and no statute authorizes or licenses courier-delivered sales. A Senate Appropriations Committee provision in the FY2026 budget (added May 2025, without public debate) would have directed the Lottery to launch a 3-year courier-delivery pilot through licensed retailers and exempted it from the rule against retailer price alteration; it was opposed by casino lobbyists and video-lottery-terminal supporters, drew objection from Rep. Betsy Fogle for being enacted via appropriations rather than statute, and was ultimately dropped by the conference committee before the final FY2026 budget passed, per a May 9, 2025 report. Jackpocket and Lotto.com had lobbied in support.[21],[22]
Pick'em fantasyLiveCompetitivePick'em-style fantasy products (e.g., Underdog, PrizePicks "Culture Picks") operate under the 2016 fantasy-contest law; sports "event contracts"/prediction-style products from the same operators are a separate category that the Attorney General has targeted as unlicensed sports wagering.[11],[18]
Pari-mutuelLimitedLegalized Jan 1, 1984Voters approved pari-mutuel wagering in 1984, but no licensed live track or off-track facility currently operates; wagering on an off-track result outside a licensed facility is a Class D felony under current law.[14],[23]
Advance deposit wageringContestedNo licensed advance-deposit-wagering platform currently serves Missouri; TwinSpires exited the state January 31, 2024, citing unclear legal status.[14]
Charitable gamingLiveSep 1, 1994MGC Charitable Games Division has licensed bingo, raffles and pull-tabs for qualified nonprofit organizations since September 1, 1994; a qualified organization may hold up to 15 pull-tab event licenses per calendar year.
Mo. Rev. Stat. ch. 313 (Charitable Games)
[1],[24]
Esports bettingLiveCompetitiveVoters approved sports wagering via Amendment 2 in November 2024; regulated retail and online wagering launched statewide Dec. 1, 2025. Secondary reporting at launch confirmed that, under the new regulations, bettors can wager on esports in addition to other major sporting events; the Missouri Gaming Commission awarded the 2 untethered mobile licenses to DraftKings and Circa Sports, with other operators requiring an in-state partner.
Mo. Const. art. III, §39(g) / Amendment 2 (Nov. 2024)
[25],[26]?
Social casinoLiveFree-to-play social casino apps with no cash-redeemable prizes are not "gambling" under Missouri's chance-plus-consideration-plus-prize definition and are not separately regulated.[15]

Sports betting in Missouri: status, tax rate, sportsbooks and bills →

Tax rates

VerticalChannelRateBaseTierPromos deductibleSinceStatute
Commercial casinosretail21%AGRNov 4, 2008Mo. Rev. Stat. § 313.822 (as amended by Proposition A, Nov. 4, 2008); 11 CSR 45-11 (MGC tax rule)
Voters raised the casino AGR tax from 20% to 21% via the Proposition A citizen initiative approved November 4, 2008, which also repealed the $500-per-two-hours loss limit; the 21% rate has remained unchanged since.
[31],[7],[6]
Daily fantasyonline11.5%NET_REVENUESep 8, 2016Missouri Fantasy Sports Consumer Protection Act, HB 1941 (2016); Mo. Rev. Stat. § 313.935.1
Tax on net revenue derived from Missouri players; the annual license application fee is "ten thousand dollars or ten percent of the applicant's net revenue from the previous calendar year, whichever is lower."
[11],[12],[32]
Pick'em fantasyonline11.5%NET_REVENUESep 8, 2016Missouri Fantasy Sports Consumer Protection Act, HB 1941 (2016); Mo. Rev. Stat. § 313.935.1
Pick'em-style fantasy products (Underdog, PrizePicks "Culture Picks," etc.) operate under the same 2016 fantasy-contest law as traditional DFS, with no separate pick'em classification or rate; this mirrors the dfs entry.
[11],[12],[32],[18]
Sports (online)online10%AGRYesDec 1, 2025Mo. Const. art. III, § 39(g)
Negative monthly AGR (common given uncapped promo deductions) carries forward with no tax due that month; first full month (Dec. 2025) produced only $521,200 in total state tax on $543M wagered.
[1],[2],[30]
Sports (retail)retail10%AGRYesDec 1, 2025Mo. Const. art. III, § 39(g)[1],[30]

Historical rates

VerticalRateBasePeriodNotes
Commercial casinos · retail20%AGRMay 27, 1994 – Nov 4, 2008Original riverboat gaming tax was 20% of AGR from the 1994 launch.[31]

Rules and requirements

Casinos

Number of commercial casinos/racinos operating
13[1]
Number of tribal gaming facilities
0[1]

Legislation

Summary of significant pending gambling legislation this session
2026 session saw a House-passed bill to create a Lottery-licensed video lottery terminal program for gray-market machines, which stalled in the Senate; separate bills proposed new casino taxes/fees and a smoke-free casino mandate.[13]

Minimum age

Minimum age to gamble in a commercial casino
21[1]
Minimum age for charitable bingo/raffles
16
Missouri's bingo law bars anyone under 16 from playing or helping conduct bingo; a person under 16 may be in the playing area only with a parent or guardian.
[27]?
Minimum age to play DFS
18[11]
Minimum age to purchase lottery
18[8]
Minimum age for pari-mutuel wagering
18
A race track licensee may not admit anyone under 18 to the wagering area during a race meeting or let them wager, except that a minor may be present if accompanied by a parent or guardian.
[28]
Minimum age to place a sports wager
21[1],[29]

Prediction markets

Summary of the state's action against sports event contracts (C&D
Cease-and-desist letters sent Sept. 18, 2026 to six operators by the Attorney General; 30-day compliance deadline; MGC licensing required to continue.[17]

Skill games

Summary of skill-game legal status/litigation
Federal court ruled gray-market machines illegal (Feb. 2026); AG forced largest operator (Torch) to shut down statewide (Apr. 2026); VLT licensing bill passed House but stalled in Senate.[19],[13]

Sports betting rules

Wagering on college sports allowed at all
Yes[1],[29]
Wagering on in-state college teams allowed
Yes
Team-level wagers on a Missouri collegiate team's games are allowed; only individual-athlete performance props in a single game involving a Missouri collegiate team are excluded.
[29]
Individual college player prop bets allowed
Yes
Wagers on individual professional or collegiate athletes' statistics are within the constitutional definition of sports wagering.
[29]?
Credit cards may be used to fund accounts
Yes
Credit cards, debit cards and gift cards are listed among the permissible (non-exhaustive) methods for funding and withdrawing from a wagering account.
[29]
Esports wagering allowed
Yes
The constitutional definition of sports wagering expressly includes esports.
[29]
New online accounts must be created in person
No
An account may be opened over the internet, through an online platform, or through other Commission-approved means, with no prior in-person step required.
[29]
Statutory cap on number of online sportsbook licenses/skins (omit if uncapped)
14[1]
Online sports wagering available statewide (not tethered to premises)
Yes[1]
Operators must use official league data for some bets
Yes
Operators must use official league data, but only to determine the outcome of "tier two" sports wagers on U.S.-headquartered sports governing bodies that have notified the Commission; "tier one" wagers may use any data source.
[29]
Number of online sportsbooks live as of as_of date
16
Total licensees launched Dec. 1, 2025, including DraftKings and Circa Sports as online-only licensees; 14 others tethered to casinos/venues.
[2]
Summary of prop-bet restrictions (e.g. no in-game player props)
No prop bets on an individual athlete's performance in a single game or match of a collegiate event involving a Missouri collegiate team; no wagering on youth or high school events or on most multi-participant fantasy-sports contests; the Commission may also restrict or exclude a specific bet type if a sport's governing body shows good cause that it could undermine that event's integrity.[29]

Sweepstakes

Statute or regulator action specifically bans dual-currency online sweepstakes casinos
No[15]

Tax revenue

Uses that commercial-casino and iGaming tax revenue is directed to by law, largest share first where the law sets shares
education, local_government
90% of the casino wagering tax goes to the state's Gaming Proceeds for Education Fund, with the remaining 10% to the home dock city or county.
[7]
Where gaming tax revenue goes (education fund
Casino tax (21% AGR) split 90% to the state Gaming Proceeds for Education Fund / 10% to home dock city or county; sports wagering tax (10% AGR) goes first to MGC expenses, then up to $5M to the Compulsive Gambling Fund, remainder to public education.[7],[30]
Uses that sports-wagering tax revenue is directed to by law, largest share first where the law sets shares
education, problem_gambling, regulation
Sports-wagering tax revenue first covers the Gaming Commission's own regulatory costs, then up to $5,000,000 a year to the Compulsive Gambling Fund, with the remainder going to public education.
[30],[29]?

Revenue

Tax revenueMonthly · Commercial casinos, Sports (online), Sports (retail)
Monthly3-month average
$20.0M$40.0M$60.0M20182020202220242026Retail sports + Online sports launchMay 2026 $40.6M$37.6M

Calendar-year totals from available reports; incomplete years are partial totals.

VerticalMeasure20262025202420232022202120202019
Commercial casinosGGR$1.4B$2.0B$1.9B$1.9B$1.9B$1.9B$1.3B$1.7B
Commercial casinosTax paid$286M$414M$395M$403M$400M$398M$265M$363M
Sports (online)AGI (adjusted revenue)$116M−$21.4M
Sports (online)Handle$2.2B$539M
Sports (online)Tax paid$12.6M$432K
Sports (retail)AGI (adjusted revenue)$2.9M$889K
Sports (retail)Handle$32.5M$4.2M
Sports (retail)Tax paid$340K$88.9K

Multi-month totals

VerticalPeriodTax paid
Daily fantasyJan 1, 2023 to Dec 31, 2023$435K
Daily fantasyJan 1, 2022 to Dec 31, 2022$426K
Daily fantasyJan 1, 2021 to Dec 31, 2021$494K
Daily fantasyJan 1, 2020 to Dec 31, 2020$371K
Daily fantasyJan 1, 2019 to Dec 31, 2019$492K
Daily fantasyJan 1, 2018 to Dec 31, 2018$617K
Daily fantasyJan 1, 2017 to Dec 31, 2017$439K
Daily fantasyAug 28, 2016 to Dec 31, 2016$229K
Commercial casinosMonthly GGR
Monthly3-month average
$100M$200M20182020202220242026May 2026 $183M$171M
Sports (online)Monthly AGI (adjusted revenue)
−$20.0M$0$20.0M$40.0M2026$16.3M
Sports (retail)Monthly AGI (adjusted revenue)
$500K$1.0M2026$473K

Commercial casinos by operator, latest reported 12-month window

Available reports only; missing months may make totals incomplete. License-holder totals may include partner-operated brands; rows are not necessarily additive.

OperatorChannelReported periodHandleGGR
PENN EntertainmenttotalSep 1, 2025 – Aug 31, 2026—$710M
Boyd GamingtotalSep 1, 2025 – Aug 31, 2026—$515M
Caesars EntertainmenttotalSep 1, 2025 – Aug 31, 2026—$439M
Century CasinostotalSep 1, 2025 – Aug 31, 2026—$137M
Bally's CorporationtotalSep 1, 2025 – Aug 31, 2026—$127M
Affinity GamingtotalSep 1, 2025 – Aug 31, 2026—$85.3M
What these figures mean
  • Commercial casinos: GGR is adjusted gross revenue (AGR) summed over the licensed casinos in the Gaming Commission workbook. Tax paid is each casino's own printed Gaming Tax figure from the same workbook's "YTD TAXES" sheet (GAMING TAX block), summed.
  • Daily fantasy: Tax paid is each operator's printed "Annual Operation Fee" -- 6% of its Missouri-apportioned net revenue (entry fees less winnings paid, times the state's share of entry fees) under RSMo 313.935.3(2); a transitional 11.5% rate applied for part of 2016 (the law's first partial year, Aug 28-Dec 31) and part of 2019 (Jan 1-Aug 27, per SB 87's mid-year rate change). Published annually (calendar year), one PDF per year, with one row per operator plus a statewide total; no monthly/quarterly fantasy-sports report exists. The underlying net-revenue figure itself is not printed, only the resulting fee, so ggr/agi are left blank rather than backed out from a rate that changed mid-year twice in this series.
  • Sports (online): Adjusted revenue is the report's "Taxable AGR", which is handle less allowable deductions and payouts. Tax paid is the sports wagering tax paid as printed in the monthly summary.
  • Sports (retail): Adjusted revenue is the report's "Taxable AGR", which is handle less allowable deductions and payouts. Tax paid is the sports wagering tax paid as printed in the monthly summary.
Revenue report sources (22)

Lottery

Status
Live · Monopoly State
NotesVoters created the lottery via a 1984 constitutional amendment carving a state-lottery exception into the Mo. Const. art. III, § 39 general ban on lotteries ("Except as otherwise provided in section 39(b)...to authorize lotteries or gift enterprises for any purpose"); sales began January 20, 1986, with a single Scratchers game ("Jackpot '86"). Proceeds went to General Revenue until voters approved Amendment 11 on Nov. 3, 1992, earmarking 100% of net proceeds for public education starting FY1994.
[8],[9],[10]
Authorized
Nov 6, 1984
Mo. Rev. Stat. ch. 313 (State Lottery); Mo. Const. art. III, § 39(b) (lottery exception)
First tickets sold
Jan 20, 1986
Run by
Missouri Lottery
Minimum age
18[8]
Multistate games
Powerball, Mega Millions[8]
Where the money goes
Net lottery proceeds are transferred to the "Lottery Proceeds Fund" and appropriated solely for Missouri's public elementary, secondary, and higher education systems, per Amendment 11 (approved Nov. 3, 1992, effective FY1994); lottery proceeds fund about 4% of total public-education funding statewide. Before FY1994 proceeds went to General Revenue.[10]
Online sales (iLottery)
Not authorized
No statute authorizes online sale of draw-game or e-instant tickets by the Missouri Lottery.
[8]
Courier services
Not authorized
NotesThird-party lottery couriers (Jackpocket, Lotto.com) do not operate in Missouri; the Missouri Lottery does not sell tickets online, and no statute authorizes or licenses courier-delivered sales. A Senate Appropriations Committee provision in the FY2026 budget (added May 2025, without public debate) would have directed the Lottery to launch a 3-year courier-delivery pilot through licensed retailers and exempted it from the rule against retailer price alteration; it was opposed by casino lobbyists and video-lottery-terminal supporters, drew objection from Rep. Betsy Fogle for being enacted via appropriations rather than statute, and was ultimately dropped by the conference committee before the final FY2026 budget passed, per a May 9, 2025 report. Jackpocket and Lotto.com had lobbied in support.
[21],[22]
Lottery sales and money kept by the stateState fiscal years
SalesKept by the stateOnline gambling legalized
$1.0B$2.0BFY2012FY2015FY2018FY2021FY20241$1.6B$360M
  1. 1Nov 5, 2024: online sports betting legalized · launched Dec 1, 2025
Yearly figures
Fiscal yearSalesPrizesAdministrationKept by the statePrize share
FY2024$1.6B$1.2B$61.8M$360M74%
FY2023$1.7B$1.3B$57.6M$376M74%
FY2022$1.7B$1.3B$55.2M$356M75%
FY2021$1.7B$1.3B$60.8M$378M74%
FY2020$1.4B$1.1B$54.2M$306M75%
FY2019$1.4B$1.0B$66.4M$385M74%
FY2018$1.3B$939M$62.1M$316M71%
FY2017$1.3B$932M$58.9M$273M74%
FY2016$1.3B$889M$53.6M$350M69%
FY2015$1.1B$755M$46.7M$305M68%
FY2014$1.1B$766M$54.2M$315M67%
FY2013$1.1B$753M$50.0M$314M67%
FY2012$1.0B$722M$44.7M$264M70%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Finances

Lottery timeline

  • Nov 3, 1992 · Tax Change · Lottery
    Voters approve Amendment 11 earmarking 100% of lottery proceeds to public education starting FY1994[8]
  • Jan 20, 1986 · Launched · Lottery
    Missouri Lottery ticket sales begin[8]
  • Nov 6, 1984 · Legalized · Lottery
    Voters create the Missouri Lottery[8]

Casinos

13 properties open, 1 closed.

PropertyTypeCityOperatorOpenedSportsbookHotel
Ameristar Casino Kansas City[34]Commercial casinoKansas CityBoyd Gaming
Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St. Charles[34]Commercial casinoSt. CharlesBoyd GamingYes
Argosy Casino Riverside
Formerly Argosy V.
[34]		Commercial casinoRiversidePENN Entertainment
Bally's Kansas City
Formerly Hilton Flamingo, Isle of Capri Kansas City, and Casino KC.
[34]		Commercial casinoKansas CityBally's Corporation
Century Casino Cape Girardeau
Formerly Isle Casino Cape Girardeau.
[34]		Commercial casinoCape GirardeauCentury Casinos
Century Casino Caruthersville
Formerly Lady Luck Casino Caruthersville.
[34]		Commercial casinoCaruthersvilleCentury Casinos
Harrah's North Kansas City[34]Commercial casinoNorth Kansas CityCaesars Entertainment
Hollywood Casino St. Louis
Formerly Players Island Casino St. Louis.
[34]		Commercial casinoMaryland HeightsPENN Entertainment
Horseshoe St. Louis
Formerly Lumiere Place Casino.
[34]		Commercial casinoSt. LouisCaesars Entertainment
Isle of Capri Casino Boonville[34]Commercial casinoBoonvilleCaesars Entertainment
Mark Twain Casino[34]Commercial casinoLa Grange
River City Casino[34]Commercial casinoSt. LouisPENN Entertainment
St. Jo Frontier Casino[34]Commercial casinoSt. Joseph
Closed (1)
PropertyTypeCityOperatorOpenSportsbookHotel
President Casino on the Admiral
Also known as President Casino Laclede's Landing.
[34]		Commercial casinoSt. Louis? – 2010

Problem gambling

State problem-gambling helpline number/name
1-888-BETS-OFF (Missouri Council on Problem Gambling)[1]

Economy

Adults 21 and over
4.6M (2024; 6.2M residents)
Gambling revenue per adult
$425 in 2025 · 10th of 31 states with a full year of reports
$2.0B kept by operators from commercial casinos, divided by adults 21 and over. Tribal casinos and the lottery are not included.
Gambling taxes collected
$390M in FY2025 · 2.17% of all state taxes
Gambling jobs
6,305 in 2025 · $48,751 average annual pay
Gambling taxes collectedState fiscal years
Gambling taxesLottery proceeds
$200M$400MFY2013FY2016FY2019FY2022FY2025$390M$360M

Census Bureau tax collections on amusements and pari-mutuel wagering. Most states book casino, sports betting and video gaming taxes here; amusement taxes can also include admissions taxes unrelated to gambling. Lottery proceeds are what the lottery transfers to the state after prizes and costs.

Gambling jobsAnnual average
5,00010.0K2015201720192021202320256,305

Casinos, casino hotels, card rooms, bingo halls, off-track betting and slot-route operators, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Racetracks are not included. Jobs at tribal casinos are counted as government jobs.

Gambling jobs by industry, 2025

IndustryOwnershipEmployersJobsAverage pay
Gambling industriestribal and other government-owned1118$15,782
Gambling industriesprivately owned392,551$50,908
Casino hotelsprivately owned93,636$48,309

Taxes by fiscal year

Fiscal yearAmusement taxesPari-mutuel taxesShare of state taxesLottery proceeds
FY2025$390M—2.17%—
FY2024$385M—2.16%$360M
FY2023$393M—2.26%$376M
FY2022$391M—2.31%$356M
FY2021$354M—2.35%$378M
FY2020$288M—2.32%$306M
FY2019$366M—2.78%$385M
FY2018$369M—2.84%$316M
FY2017$367M—2.94%$273M
FY2016$370M—3.01%$350M

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates: Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, States (NST-EST2025-ALLDATA); U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections (STC): Historical Dataset; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages, NAICS 7132 (Gambling industries)

Timeline

  • Oct 7, 2026 · Restricted · Pick'em fantasy
    PrizePicks suspends its Team Picks sports-contract product for Missouri users amid prediction-market crackdown[18]
  • Sep 18, 2026 · Cease And Desist · Prediction markets
    AG Hanaway sends cease-and-desist letters to Kalshi, Polymarket, Crypto.com, Robinhood, Underdog and Novig over unlicensed sports event contracts[17]
  • Apr 2, 2026 · Other · VGTs / VLTs
    House-passed VLT licensing bill faces resistance in the Senate over constitutional gambling restrictions[13]
  • Apr 1, 2026 · Enforcement Action · Skill games
    Attorney General Hanaway forces Torch Electronics to suspend all Missouri gray-market machine operations under threat of criminal prosecution[13]
  • Feb 17, 2026 · Court Ruling · Skill games
    Federal judge rules Missouri's gray-market "no-chance" slot machines are illegal gambling devices under state law[19]
  • Feb 4, 2026 · Other · VGTs / VLTs
    Missouri House committee votes to advance bill legalizing/licensing video slot machines as VLTs[20]
  • Jan 30, 2026 · Other · Sports (online)
    First full-month report shows $543M wagered but only $521,200 net state tax due to promotional deductions[2]
  • Dec 1, 2025 · Launched · Sports (online)
    Missouri sports wagering launches statewide with 16 licensed operators; DraftKings holds "First Bet" ceremony in St. Louis[1],[2]
  • Dec 1, 2025 · Launched · Sports (retail)
    Retail sports wagering launches at Missouri casinos and sports venues[1]
  • Oct 27, 2025 · Court Ruling · Sweepstakes casinos
    Killham v. Stake (Sweepstakes Limited) filed in Jackson County Circuit Court challenging sweepstakes-casino model[15]
  • Nov 5, 2024 · Legalized · Sports (online)
    Voters narrowly approve constitutional Amendment 2 legalizing sports wagering (margin of 2,691 votes out of ~3 million cast)[33],[2]
  • Jan 31, 2024 · Restricted · Advance deposit wagering
    TwinSpires exits the Missouri advance-deposit-wagering market[14]
  • Sep 8, 2016 · Launched · Daily fantasy
    MGC emergency rule for licensed DFS operators takes effect[11]
  • Jun 10, 2016 · Legalized · Daily fantasy
    Gov. Nixon signs Missouri Fantasy Sports Consumer Protection Act (HB 1941)[11]
  • Nov 4, 2008 · Ballot Measure · Commercial casinos
    Voters approve Proposition A, raising the casino AGR tax from 20% to 21% and repealing the $500-per-two-hours loss limit[31]
  • Sep 1, 1994 · Launched · Charitable gaming
    MGC Charitable Games Division assumes bingo/pull-tab/raffle oversight[1]
  • May 27, 1994 · Launched · Commercial casinos
    First riverboat casino (Station Casino St. Charles) opens[6]
  • Apr 1, 1994 · Court Ruling · Commercial casinos
    Constitutional amendment to permit slots/craps fails by narrowest margin in state history; legislature redefines these as "games of skill" to proceed[6]
  • Nov 3, 1992 · Ballot Measure · Commercial casinos
    Voters approve riverboat gambling referendum[6]
  • Nov 3, 1992 · Tax Change · Lottery
    Voters approve Amendment 11 earmarking 100% of lottery proceeds to public education starting FY1994[8]
  • Jan 20, 1986 · Launched · Lottery
    Missouri Lottery ticket sales begin[8]
  • Nov 6, 1984 · Legalized · Lottery
    Voters create the Missouri Lottery[8]

Regulators

Sources

  1. Missouri Gaming Commission — History · Missouri Gaming Commission · regulator page · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
    “no later than Dec. 1, 2025”
  2. Missouri sports betting tops $543M in first month but deductions leave state with only $521K · Missouri Independent · press · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
    “We might as well have just made them tax free at this point”
  3. Sports wagering set to debut in Missouri 1 December · Gambling Insider · press · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    secondary source only

  4. 2024 General Election Ballot Measures — Amendment 2 (sports wagering) full text · Missouri Secretary of State · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
    “An applicant for a retail license shall be required to pay a license fee prescribed by the Commission, not to exceed $250,000. ... An applicant for a mobile license shall be required to pay a license fee prescribed by the Commission, not to exceed $500,000.”
  5. Missouri Online Casinos · BettingUSA · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    secondary source only

  6. Laissez le Bon Temps Roulette: Letting the Good Times Roll on Riverboat Casinos · Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis · government other · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
  7. 11 CSR 45-11 — Gaming Tax · Missouri Secretary of State (Code of State Regulations) · regulation · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
    “a tax is imposed on the adjusted gross receipts received from gambling games at the rate of twenty-one percent (21%)”
  8. Missouri Lottery · Wikipedia (secondary; corroborated by Public Gaming 40th-anniversary coverage) · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    secondary source only

  9. Missouri Constitution, Article III, Section 39 — Limitation of power of general assembly · Missouri Office of the Revisor of Statutes · statute · retrieved Oct 11, 2026

    Subdivision (9) of the general gambling/lottery ban; the carve-out for the state lottery itself is codified at the referenced section 39(b) (not separately reproduced on this page). The Revisor's source note lists 1984 among the amendment dates for this section, consistent with the 1984 ballot measure creating the lottery.

    “Except as otherwise provided in section 39(b), section 39(c), section 39(e) or section 39(f) of this article, to authorize lotteries or gift enterprises for any purpose.”
  10. Where the Money Goes · Missouri Lottery · regulator page · retrieved Oct 11, 2026

    Describes 1992 Amendment 11 vote and that lottery proceeds fund about 4% of total Missouri public-education funding; the Legislature decides the annual allocation among education programs.

    “earmarking Lottery proceeds to solely benefit public education”
  11. Regulated Fantasy Sports Comes To Missouri This September · Legal Sports Report · press · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    secondary source only

  12. Daily Fantasy Sports Now Permitted in Missouri · Lewis Rice LLC · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    secondary source only

  13. Video lottery bill debate shows Missouri Senate resistance to expanded gambling · Missouri Independent · press · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
  14. Missouri Horse Racing Betting · BettingUSA · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
    “Twinspires exited the Missouri horse racing betting market on January 31st, 2024”
  15. Missouri Sweepstakes Casinos · Lines.com · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    secondary source only

  16. Missouri's top cop shouldn't cop out on illegal gambling · SoloAzar · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    secondary source only

  17. Missouri AG targets Polymarket, Kalshi, others in prediction market crackdown · KCTV5 · press · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
    “Chances are they may sue us once they get this cease-and-desist letter”
  18. PrizePicks pulls Missouri sports contracts, Kalshi takes case to media · SBC Americas · press · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
  19. Federal judge rules Missouri's gas station slot machines illegal gambling devices · St. Louis Public Radio · press · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
    “A federal judge on Friday ruled that slot machines that have operated for years in bars, restaurants and convenience stores across Missouri are illegal gambling devices under state law”
  20. Missouri House narrowly passes bill to regulate gray-market slot machines · Missouri Independent · press · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
  21. Push to allow online lottery ticket sales in Missouri adds new issue to budget talks · Missouri Independent · press · retrieved Oct 11, 2026

    Page not fetched; confirmed via search result summary describing the Senate Appropriations Committee's courier-pilot budget provision, its opponents (casino and VLT lobbyists), and Rep. Betsy Fogle's process objection.

  22. Lawmakers negotiating Missouri budget add $300M to... · News Tribune (Jefferson City) · press · retrieved Oct 11, 2026

    Page not fetched; confirmed via search result summary that budget conference-committee negotiators removed the lottery-courier pilot language from the final FY2026 budget.

  23. HB 2698 Bill Summary · Missouri House of Representatives · bill · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
    “it is illegal in Missouri to place pari-mutuel wagers on the result or outcome of a horse racing event that takes place in an off-track facility”
  24. Charitable Gaming in Missouri · Harbor Compliance · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    secondary source only

  25. Google Allows Betting Ads In Missouri As State Gets Set For Sports and Esports Betting · esports.net · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
    “Under the new regulations, bettors can wager on esports in addition to other major sporting events”
  26. Sportsbooks enlist Missouri sports legends to launch state's betting market · SBC Americas · press · retrieved Oct 11, 2026

    Page not fetched; confirmed via search result summary of the Dec. 1, 2025 statewide launch and DraftKings/Circa's untethered mobile licenses.

  27. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 313.040 — Restrictions, penalties (bingo) · Missouri Office of the Revisor of Statutes · statute · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
    “No person under the age of sixteen years may play or participate in the conducting of bingo.”
  28. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 313.670 — Minors, prohibited from betting, presence prohibited, exceptions · Missouri Office of the Revisor of Statutes · statute · retrieved Oct 11, 2026

    Subsection 1 bars admitting minors to the wagering area or letting them wager; subsection 2 separately bars minors from wagering; the only exception allows presence (not wagering) when accompanied by a parent or guardian 18 or older.

    “under the age of eighteen years”
  29. Missouri Constitution, Article III, Section 39(g) — Sports wagering: licensure, requirements, rulemaking authority, wagering tax · Missouri Office of the Revisor of Statutes · statute · retrieved Oct 11, 2026

    Voters adopted this section as part of Amendment 2 on November 5, 2024, effective December 5, 2024. Sections within 39(g) cover: Section 3 (21+ minimum age), Section 9(a) (tier-two official-league-data mandate), Section 9(g) (Commission authority to restrict a bet type for integrity reasons), Section 9(m) (sports-district wagering restriction), Section 13(a) (online/remote account registration), Section 13(c) (funding methods including credit cards), and Section 16(k) (definition of sports wagering, including esports and the in-state-collegiate-team individual-athlete prop exclusion). Earlier drafting in this file miscited this section as 39(f) (raffles and sweepstakes) and, for esports, as 39(e) (riverboat gambling); both are corrected to 39(g) here.

    “a collegiate team from this state is a participant”
  30. Missouri Voters to Decide the Future of Legalized Sports Betting · Fox Rothschild LLP · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
    “If the amount of adjusted gross receipts in a calendar month is a negative figure, the licensee shall remit no sports wagering tax for that calendar month”
  31. Section 313.822 — Gaming tax imposed, rate, deposit of moneys — version history · Missouri Office of Revisor of Statutes · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
    “A.L. 2008, adopted by initiative (Proposition A), November 4, 2008”
  32. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 313.935 License required — application, fee · Missouri Office of the Revisor of Statutes · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
    “shall apply to the commission for a license and shall remit to the commission an application fee of ten thousand dollars or ten percent of the applicant's net revenue from the previous calendar year, whichever is lower.”
  33. 'All In': Missouri voters pass Amendment 2 to legalize sports gambling · KSHB · press · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
  34. List of casinos in Missouri · Wikipedia · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026