Missouri Daily Fantasy Sports

Missouri is one of the few states that has made formal legislation dealing with paid fantasy sports. The Missouri Fantasy Consumer Protection Act states that “no fantasy sports contest operator shall offer any fantasy sports contest in Missouri without first being licensed by the commission”. This means that you can play safely, legally and with protection. That being said, you can be absolutely sure that daily fantasy betting in Missouri is safe and secure, and that you will get any of your potential winnings payed without a hitch. Check out my recommended Missouri daily fantasy sports sites below.

Gambling Laws in Missouri

The history of Missouri gambling laws has mostly seen restriction and prohibition of betting in the state. However, there are ways for you to gamble legally in MO. You can play on board riverboat casinos, or place pari-mutuel bets as long as you are at a state fair. This is because specific charitable bets are permitted.

The legalization of the state lottery in 1985 was done for the same reason. As mentioned above, you can also play paid fantasy sports legally in the state. These games were formally legalized and come under the jurisdiction of the Missouri Gaming Commission.

Missouri Sports Betting

There is bad news here. There are no legal Missouri sports betting sites, and any operators offering these services are working outside the law. The only sports bets you can place are either on fantasy sports sites or pari-mutuel wagers at state fairs. For more details, you can refer to our page about Missouri sports betting.

Missouri Online Casinos

While you can play slots and table games on riverboat casinos in MO, online casinos in Missouri are strictly banned. This also means that as a resident of the state, you are not allowed to access out of state sites on which to place bets. There does not currently seem to be any political will to change this fact.

Missouri Poker

Just as with online casinos in Missouri, online poker is strictly prohibited. While some advocates of the game argue that it is a game of skill, and therefore does not constitute gambling, the state does not see it that way. So, for the time being at least, you cannot legally play in an online poker room.

Missouri Lottery

Though not the first state to set up a lottery by any means, the Missouri Lottery has been running since 1985 and has directly contributed to funding the state’s education programs since 1994. You cannot buy tickets online, unfortunately, so you will need to find a participating store in the state. However, we’ve created a Missouri lottery page which might be of help if you want to know more on the matter.

History of Gambling in Missouri

As with every state, there have been moves for and against gambling in all its different forms throughout the history of Missouri. Note that like many other states legalized DFS in the recent years, Missouri makes no exception as well. You can read our reviews of the daily fantasy sports in Georgia, California, Colorado or Iowa, for example, if you want to find out more. Missouri has a really interesting gambling background and just to keep it simple, I have created a table with the biggest developments that have happened in the last 40 years or so.

Missouri State Facts

Missouri is full of great little bits of trivia. Even the nickname “The Show Me State” has a weird history. Some claim that it came from a former senator’s comment that he didn’t believe in something just because it was stated eloquently; he said that you have to “show me”. Others cite the travelling miners who worked in other states and had to be shown how to dig in other parts of the country. Who knows which is right? Certainly not me, but I have listed some verified facts below.

Gambling Age in Missouri

In order to gamble on a riverboat casino in Missouri, you must be at least 21 years of age. However, you can buy a lottery ticket from 18. The state has some of the most lenient drinking laws in the country, but you still have to be 21 to purchase or drink alcohol, as with the rest of the country. Recreational use of cannabis is strictly illegal, but in 2018, a constitutional amendment allowed for medical marijuana. The infrastructure supporting this use is still being set up, however.

• Online Gambling Age:
  You can gamble in Missouri as long as you are at least 21+ years old.
• Alcohol Age
  You must be 21+ years old to drink alcohol in Missouri.
• Weed Age
  Recreational marijuana is illegal, but medical treatment is permitted.

Responsible Gambling and Addiction Prevention

There is a number of places to which you can turn if you think that you need help with your gambling. Organizations such as the National Council on Problem Gambling offer advice, counselling and support. You can also sign up to a lifetime exclusion program with the Missouri Gaming Commission.

Upcoming Regulation and Expected Changes

The biggest development on the horizon is the possibility that sports betting will soon be allowed in the state of Missouri. Several different bills have been proposed that would legalize online gambling in the US and land-based sports betting as well, although none have yet been put on the schedule for 2019. As yet, there seems no hint that online casino gambling will be up for discussion, but feel free to check back here as we will keep this page up to date.

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