Missouri’s sports betting market could top $3bn in year one

Bettors in Missouri could produce a handle of $3.88bn in the first year of operations, according to projections made by independent betting comparison site BetMissouri.

Legalized, regulated sports betting is set to go live in Missouri on 1 December, with the Missouri Gaming Commission awarding licenses to several well-known online sportsbooks, including DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM.

Now independent projections estimate a first-year handle of $3.88bn, with nearly $65.7m in wagers expected throughout the first week alone.

The projections, which come from BetMissouri analyst Christopher Boan, were based on the state’s 2025 census population estimate and the average amount wagered in the five sports betting states that are closest to Missouri in population. These are Maryland, Indiana, Massachusetts, Colorado and Tennessee.

Those states averaged just over $1.1 billion in handle in the first four months since their markets launched, with an average of $279,571,285 per month. Those numbers give Missouri a projected handle of over $1bn in the first four months of sports betting operations, with an estimated $262,609,095 per month.

While Boan admits that the estimate “isn’t a perfect science” – with some states having seen the market nearly stop altogether during the Covid-19 pandemic and others not offering retail options for sports betting – the launch comes as Missouri’s main sports teams enter important parts of their respective seasons, which could drive wagering.

The state’s NHL team, the St. Louis Blues, host the Anaheim Ducks on the day Missouri goes live, and they face three more games within the first week of the launch as they travel to play the Boston Bruins (December 4), Ottawa Senators (December 6) and Montreal Canadiens (December 7).

Meanwhile, Kansas City Chiefs fans will have to wait a little while longer to wager, with the Chiefs taking on the Houston Texans at Arrowhead Stadium in Sunday Night Football on December 7.