In the world of sports, and sports betting, everyone always likes to root for the underdog. While that’s not always the situation when it comes to sports betting operators, the State of Missouri just gave a major underdog a major advantage in the newly opened Show-Me-State betting market. Late last week the Missouri Gaming Commission announced that it would be awarding its two untethered sports betting licenses to DraftKings and Circa Sports.
It’s a move that left FanDuel, America’s second largest sportsbook, sitting on the bench while it looks for a local casino to partner up with before it can dip into the Missouri market.
The State of Missouri’s plan to integrate regulated sports betting into its gaming ecosystem involved the granting of just two untethered sports betting licensed. These licenses include a $500,000 application fee, about twice as much as other gaming licenses. That bloated application fee will likely be well worth the extra cash since untethered sports betting licensed do not require a partnership with a local casino (and that means no revenue sharing).
Missouri Gaming Commission Chairman Jan Zimmerman was vague as to why Flutter Entertainment, FanDuel’s operator, got left out in the cold. “The Commission considered many factors before the two applicants were chosen. We commend Betfair Interactive US, LLC for its efforts. It was a difficult decision, but the Commission is only able to grant two licenses,” he said in comments reported on by KSDK.com.
Circa Sports CEO Derek Stevens reveled in his big win saying, “We didn’t win by trying to be the biggest. We won by staying true to who we are, and I want to thank the Missouri Gaming Commission for recognizing that and giving us the opportunity to bring the Circa Sports experience to the State of Missouri. We can’t wait to get started!”
Regulated sports betting launches in Missouri on December 1, 2025.