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Missouri
Gambling Laws 2026

Sports Betting: LegalCommercial casinos

Sports Betting

Legal

Casino Gambling

Commercial casinos

Online Casino / iGaming

Illegal

State Lottery

Yes

Horse Racing / Racetracks

Legal

Missouri has 13 licensed commercial casinos operating under a riverboat framework in place since the early 1990s. Properties are distributed along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, with facilities in St. Louis, Kansas City, and smaller river towns. Sports betting passed via a November 2022 ballot measure and launched in 2023. The enabling legislation took time to work through, but mobile betting is now available statewide through licensed operators.

The lottery has operated since 1986. Horse racing at various Missouri tracks continues under pari-mutuel rules. The ballot measure approach to sports betting reflected a legislative logjam that lasted years, with Missouri being one of the last Midwestern states to authorize it.

For residents, the situation has improved substantially since 2023. Mobile sports betting is now available statewide. Casino access is broad — if you live anywhere near the Missouri or Mississippi rivers, you are likely close to a licensed facility. Online casino gambling is not legal. The riverboat casinos have shed most of their nautical requirements and most now operate on permanently moored barges or land-based facilities.

13 riverboat casinos. Sports betting passed via ballot measure in 2022, launched 2023.

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People Also Ask

What two states prohibit gambling?

National Collegiate Athletic Association). If state-run lotteries are included, then 48 states allow some form of gambling. The exceptions are Hawaii, where gambling was outlawed prior to statehood, and Utah, which bans gambling in its state constitution.

What gambling machines are illegal in Missouri?

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.

Do you have to be 21 to go to a casino in Missouri?

Missouri casinos mandate players are at least 21 years old, but unregulated machines lack restrictions, according to the American Gaming Association.

What can I legally do at 18 in Missouri?

Some of the rights that you have after age 18 are: • to vote • to make a will • to sue in your own name • to make binding contracts • to obtain medical treatment without parental consent • to live on your own and be independent of parental control.

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Sources: American Gaming Association 2024, Legal Sports Report, NCSL. Gambling laws change frequently — verify current status before wagering.

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