• Fanatics Sportsbook has secured market access in Missouri through a new partnership with casino operator Boyd Gaming.
• The state’s regulator, the Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC), has defended its surprise decision to award one of two “untethered” licences to Circa Sports over market giant FanDuel.
• MGC officials stated they wanted to license different business models to attract a wider range of bettors, rather than have “two of the exact same type” of platform.
• FanDuel has since secured access via a “tethered” partnership with St. Louis CITY SC, while DraftKings holds the other untethered licence.
• The market is on track for a 1 December 2025 launch, with applications for the remaining 14 tethered licences due by 12 September.

The competitive landscape for Missouri’s forthcoming sports betting market is continuing to solidify, with Fanatics Sportsbook announcing on Monday that it has secured market access through a partnership with Boyd Gaming. The deal will see Fanatics launch online and in-person sportsbooks at Boyd’s two Ameristar casino properties in the state.

The announcement confirms that another major national operator will be on the starting line for the market’s scheduled go-live date of 1 December 2025.

Regulator Explains ‘Surprise’ Circa Decision

The Fanatics deal comes as officials from the Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) have publicly explained the rationale behind their recent, and widely discussed, licensing decision. Earlier this month, the MGC awarded its two valuable “untethered” mobile licences to DraftKings and, in a surprise move, to the much smaller, Las Vegas-based operator Circa Sports, snubbing an application from market leader FanDuel.

MGC Executive Director Michael Leara explained that the commission was impressed by Circa’s distinct business model, which caters to more sophisticated, higher-staking bettors with high limits and low hold percentages. “They saw it as an opportunity to attract different types of bettors to the state,” Leara told St. Louis Public Radio. “Instead of having two of the exact same type of business models and betting platforms, having something a little bit different would be attractive to the people of the state.”

A Crowded Field Forms for December Launch

The MGC’s strategic decision has helped to create what is shaping up to be a highly diverse and competitive market from day one. While DraftKings and Circa hold the independent licences, a host of other major brands are now securing access via the 14 available “tethered” licences, which require a partnership with one of the state’s casinos or professional sports teams.

The key partnerships announced so far include:

• Fanatics Sportsbook with Boyd Gaming
• FanDuel with St. Louis CITY SC
• Bet365 with the St. Louis Cardinals
• BetMGM with Century Casinos

In addition, operators with existing land-based properties in the state, such as Caesars and PENN Entertainment (ESPN Bet), will also be launching their own platforms. With the deadline for the first wave of tethered licence applications set for 12 September, the final launch-day lineup will soon be confirmed.