Is Online Gambling Legal In Missouri

 
Is Online Gambling Legal In Missouri 6,5/10 4060 votes
  1. Is Online Gambling Legal In Missouri Today
  2. Is Online Gambling Legal In Missouri 2019
  3. Is Online Gambling Legal In Missouri
  4. Is Online Gambling Legal In Missouri Government
  5. Is Online Gambling Legal In Missouri
Home » US Poker Laws – State by State Reviews » Legal Gambling & Poker Laws in Missouri

Is Online Gambling Legal In MissouriBy
April 30th, 2018 Last updated on November 5th, 2019

Missouri Statute: Chapter 313; Problem Gambling. About the List of Disassociated Persons ('DAP') Code of State Regulations (CSRs) Frequently Asked Questions; How to get off the Problem Gambling List; How to get on the Problem Gambling List. Legal Gambling in Missouri can be accomplished numerous ways. Legal Missouri Online. Online gambling is a popular pastime in the state of Missouri, as it is across the globe. No matter where you go, you’ll find people that want to place bets on the Kansas City Chiefs (congratulations on that Super Bowl victory, by the way). Luckily for those people, in Missouri, it’s.

Is online sports gambling legal in missouri
Legal Gambling & Poker Laws in Missouri
Last Updated November 5, 2019

At any time of day, on any day of the year, it’s a good bet that poker is being played in Missouri. You could be looking at a high-stakes game at one of the state’s casinos, or perhaps a more casual affair conducted among friends.

Most of the hands of poker played in Missouri, however, probably take place online – an area that we’re going to cover extensively in our Guide to Missouri and Online Poker.

One of the most common questions we receive is: “Can I play poker online if I live in Missouri?“. The answer is yes. Missouri does not have any laws that state it is illegal to play online poker. There are still a number of poker sites that accept players from Missouri.

Missouri Gambling & Poker Laws Summarized

Type/CodeSummary
State Code Section(s)XXI.313; XXXVIII. 572
DefinitionsGambling: A person stakes or risks something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under his or her control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that he or she will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome.

Gambling device: Any device, machine, paraphernalia or equipment that is used or usable in the playing phases of any gambling activity, whether that activity consists of gambling between persons or gambling by a person with a machine.

Professional player: A player who engages in gambling for a livelihood or who has derived at least twenty percent of his or her income in any one year within the past five years from acting solely as a player.

Contest of chance: Any contest, game, gaming scheme or gaming device in which the outcome depends in a material degree upon an element of chance, notwithstanding that the skill of the contestants may also be a factor therein.

Online Poker/GamblingThere have been no efforts to legalize online poker or casino games in Missouri, and it is an unlikely proposition in the coming years.
Live PokerAll of the Missouri casinos have poker rooms offering cash games, and some offer tournaments as well.
CasinosCasinos on riverboats – or within a certain proximity of bodies of water – are legal, and there are more than a dozen of them operating in Missouri as fully functional facilities.
Sports BettingLawmakers in both houses of the state legislature are considering versions of the Comprehensive Missouri Sports Betting and Sports Protection Act to legalize sports betting in 2018.
DFSMissouri passed the Fantasy Sports Consumer Protection Act in 2016 to legalize fantasy sports contests.
Other Forms of GamblingLottery, bingo, charitable gaming, horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering.
Gambling

Is Online Poker Legal in Missouri?

Can I play poker legally in Missouri? Is it legal to participate in real-money games of poker over the Internet? These are common questions we get from readers, and our answer is always the same: While we can provide you with some basic facts about the law, questions about the legality of something not specifically addressed by law – like online poker – can only be answered by a lawyer.

We know that state law can be a complex and convoluted thing, so we’ve assembled some of the critical parts into an easy-to-read list that should give you the broad strokes of gambling law in Missouri.

What counts as gambling in Missouri? An activity has to be unlicensed by the state and must require a person to stake or risk

“something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under his control or influence” (Section 572.010(4).

Participating in such activity is a misdemeanor in Missouri.

The one exception: Social gambling (no house, in private, occurring among people with a genuine social relationship) is permitted and not required to be licensed (Section 572.010(8)).

Missouri has one quirk of law that should be of special interest to poker players. If you are a “professional player” – defined as someone who has earned a minimum of 20% of their yearly income in any of the last 5 years (Section 572.010(9)), you face a much stiffer charge for illegal gambling – it’s a class D felony.

Profiting from the operation of illegal gambling activity – a concept defined quite broadly by Missouri – can range from a misdemeanor to a felony depending on the size of the operation and whether or not it involves bookmaking or a lottery (Section 572.030-040).

“Possession of a gambling device” (Section 572.070) is defined in a similarly broad fashion and could easily include the cards and chips used in a card game, and perhaps even the software and computer involved in an online game of poker.

The above represents only our summary of what we consider to be the key points of Missouri law as it pertains to online poker. For the complete text of the Missouri statutes, visit the webpage for the Missouri Secretary of State .

Will Missouri Regulate Online Poker?

We doubt that Missouri will lead the way when it comes to online poker regulation, but a few factors give us confidence that the state would follow along if a broader, national trend of regulation took place. The first factor is the presence of several major casino corporations in the state, a force that will be keen to push online poker regulation for competitive reasons. The second is the state’s general willingness to embark on gambling expansion. The third is the condition of the state budget (poor) and the need to rectify that situation (pressing). Put it all together and you get a reasonable case that Missouri won’t buck a nationwide push to bring regulated online poker to American players.

Missouri: Poker, Gaming and Gambling

Missouri’s relationship with gambling mirrors that of its more conservative neighbors. While the state certainly had its fair share of unregulated gambling during the 1800s and early 1900s, it took quite some time for Missouri to embrace those elements and craft them into a regulated gambling industry. For example, Missouri was relatively late to introduce a lottery, selling their first tickets in 1986 – over 20 years after New Hampshire kicked off the legal lotto revival in the US.

Overview of Regulated Gambling Options in Missouri

The state lottery remains in operation today, and is one of a diverse menu of regulated gambling activities in Missouri. The riverboat casino is the dominant form, with a double-digit tally of the gaming vessels spread across the state’s waterways. Tribes are also a presence in Missouri’s gambling industry, which suffers only from a lack of racetracks and pari-mutuel wagering.

Overview of Missouri-Regulated Online Gambling

As of the writing of this article, the state of Missouri does not directly regulate any form of online gambling, including online poker. The state’s fondness for gambling indicates that regulated online poker could come to the state at some point, but we don’t see a clear path to state-backed online gambling in the status quo.

All Poker and Gambling Laws by State

  • Legislative efforts are underway in Illinois and Missouri to expand gambling. Both initiatives seek to expand the number of places which can host slot machines with new “video gambling” laws. The issues being debated are different in each of the neighboring states, but both issues call for more gambling at

    Read Full
  • Russian casino cheats engineered a software program which made American slot machines go haywire in June 2014, according to a report released this week by Wired. The software caused several slot machines in the Lumiere Casino in St. Louis to produce a “negative hold” over two days in early June

    Read Full
  • Jeremy Klausner, the lead attorney for Borgata, filed a critical response to a previous legal filing by playing-card manufacturer Gemaco, which is involved in the Borgata-Phil Ivey lawsuit. Previously, the Kansas City-based Gemaco filed a motion for a summary judgment in the case. The litigation stems from a lawsuit Borgata

    Read Full

Missouri Poker & Gambling Research Sources

AGA Missouri Overview . Resource from the American Gaming Association that provides a snapshot of the gambling industry in the state of Missouri. Access quick facts about the revenue, regulation and scope of regulated gambling within Missouri’s borders.

Missouri Gaming Commission. Self-exclusion, financial statements, licensee information and a host of other facts, forms and resources at the home page for the agency primarily responsible for gambling regulation.

Missouri Gaming Association. Trade group representing the majority of licensed operators in Missouri. Litany of articles, papers and other information related to Missouri’s regulated gambling industry.

Missouri’s Place in Poker History

Certainly not thought of as a poker epicenter, Missouri surprises many when they learn of the state’s varied connections to some of poker’s biggest stories. Two World Series of Poker champions have ties to Missouri; Greg Raymer attended college there, and 2006 winner Jamie Gold was born in the state.

Gold isn’t the only poker notable to come out of Missouri. One of the original stars of poker, Mike Caro, is a native of Joplin. Noted for his books and videos, Caro is also credited with crafting the first AI-based poker opponent, which he debuted at the 1984 WSOP.

Sources & Citations For This Article on Missouri Online Poker

Casino
  • Horseracing (1984), Lottery (1984), Casinos (1992), Bingo (1994)
  • $620 million
  • $3 billion
  • 16 for charity games, 18 for lottery and racing, 21 for casinos
  • Missouri does not have a statewide smoking ban
  • No forms of legal online gambling

Missouri gambling was late to the market when compared to other states. It didn’t legalize a lottery or racing until 1984. Missouri casinos and charitable gambling were legalized 10 years later.

The Missouri Lottery is among the most successful in the country. That cannot be said about the state’s horseracing. The last of the tracks failed in the 1990s after Missouri casinos became legal. Off-track betting is allowed, but there are none of those facilities. That is because simulcast racing may only be held on days where there is a live race. This makes online betting on horses also illegal in Missouri.

Paying Gambling Taxes in Missouri

How are gambling winnings taxed? OnlineUnitedStatesCasinos has gathered everything you need to know about paying gambling taxes. If you want to learn how to report your gambling income to the IRS, check out our exclusive Gambling Taxes Guide.

Missouri Casinos Map & Guide

  • River City Casino
  • Argosy Casino
  • Isle of Capri
  • Harrah’s
  • Isle Casino
  • 13
  • 7
  • 1

Types of Missouri Online Gambling Allowed

The only form of legal Missouri online gambling is daily fantasy sports. The law is unclear on the topic. DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo! are among the sites that accept players in the state for daily fantasy sports contests. A bill was introduced in the Missouri Legislature in 2016 to expressly make daily fantasy sports legal.

November 2018 Update

Bingo! During the midterm elections, voters in Missouri decided to pass a measure that would give bingo in the state a boost. Now organizations will only need 6 months of membership to be allowed to offer bingo games.

Types of Live Missouri Gambling

  • Slots: Yes
  • Blackjack: Yes
  • Poker: Yes
  • Craps/Roulette: Yes
  • Horses: Yes
  • Lottery: Yes

There are four types of legal live Missouri gambling. One is allowed on the books but is a dead industry in the state; horse racing. The state allows tracks to offer live races but none actually do. That is because like in most states, Missouri casinos devastated the racing industry. Off-track betting is only legal on days of live races. That means there are no racebooks in Missouri either since no live races take place.

There is a state lottery in Missouri. Scratch-off and lotto tickets are mostly sold in convenience stores. This includes interstate drawings like Mega Millions and Powerball. Missouri also has Club Keno. These tickets are sold in bars, bowling alleys, and pool halls. A new drawing is held every four minutes.

Bingo and raffles are legal if offered by registered charities. These include religious, fraternal, and veteran causes.

A big attraction in Missouri are the riverboat casinos. These are open 24 hours a day. The boats are not required to leave the docks anymore. They are standard Missouri casinos that just happen to be located on waterways like the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. There are no restrictions on casino games. Players can enjoy slots, video poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, Three Card Poker, Four Card Poker, Mississippi Stud, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Pai Gow Poker, and live poker, among other approved games. There are currently 13 Missouri casinos that are open and operating throughout the state. You can use our Missouri casinos map to find the locations and contact information of each.

Missouri once had a $500 loss limit every two hours. This was repealed by voters in 2008.

Missouri Gambling Laws

Missouri gambling laws permit several forms of legalized gambling. All gambling establishments must be licensed by the state. This includes charities, which must register. A charity may offer bingo and raffles if spread by a religious, fraternal, or veterans organization. The charity must have existed for at least two years prior to spreading these games. Professional gamblers are barred from playing in charity games.

Casinos must be located on boats. The casinos no longer have to leave the dock, nor do they have to enforce loss limits. The $500 loss limit every two hours was repealed in 2008 by voters in a statewide referendum.

Missouri Casino Games and Taxes

Casinos in Missouri may spread any table game allowed in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. This includes slots, video poker, Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Seven-Card Stud, blackjack, craps, roulette, keno, baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, and any approved house-banked table game. Missouri casinos must pay a 21 percent tax on gaming win to the state. There is also a $2 admission tax on every patron. This requires all Missouri casino patrons to have a player card so that they may be tracked for this fee.

Anyone that loses money in illegal gambling schemes may pursue loss recovery through the qui tam laws in Missouri. If the losing gambler declines to claim these losses, the family may do so in his place. Parents may recover the gambling losses of minors.

Racing is legal in Missouri. No tracks have operated since the 1990s. Off-track betting is only permitted on days where there is a live race. This means that there is no legal way to bet on a horse race in Missouri, even though the activity is technically legal. Mobile apps and websites that accept bets on horse races are also illegal. The Missouri Horse Racing Commission still exists but is essentially defunct.

Gambling

The state lottery may sell scratch-off and lotto tickets through retailers. They may not be sold over the Internet. The Missouri Lottery may also hold keno drawings every four minutes. Club Keno retailers require a special license. These are typically found in taverns and other businesses that have an open-pour alcohol license.

Missouri Minimum Gambling Ages

Missouri gambling law is a special case among other states when it comes to the “minimum gambling age”. They have three different tiers for the cut-off ages:

The minimum Missouri gambling age for bingo and raffles is 16 years.
The Missouri Lottery and horse racing have a minimum gambling age of 18 years.
Missouri casino players have a required minimum gambling age of 21 years.

Missouri Casinos List

There are 13 casinos in Missouri. Each Missouri casino is required to be located on or near a body of water. Most are located near the largest cities in the state.

You can find the general casino information below, including the address and website. For more specific directions, you can use our Missouri casinos map for guidance.

CasinoSizeAddressWebsite
Ameristar Casino – Kansas City2,500 Slot Machines3200 North Ameristar Drivewww.ameristar.com
Ameristar Casino – St. Charles2,700 Slot Machines1260 South Main Streetwww.ameristar.com
Argosy Casino – Riverside1,750 Slot Machines777 Northwest Argosy Parkwaywww.argosykansascity.com
Harrah’s – North Kansas City2,100 Slot Machines1 Riverboat Drivewww.caesars.com
Hollywood Casino – St. Louis2,100 Slot Machines777 Casino Center Drivewww.hollywoodcasinostlouis.com
Isle of Capri – Boonville900 Slot Machines100 Isle of Capri Boulevardwww.isleofcapricasinos.com
Isle Casino – Cape Girardeau900 Slot Machines777 Main Streetwww.isleofcapricasinos.com
Isle of Capri – Kansas City1,000 Slot Machines1800 Front Streetwww.isleofcapricasinos.com
Lady Luck Casino – Caruthersville500 Slot Machines777 East 3rd Streetwww.isleofcapricasinos.com
Lumiere Place Casino – St. Louis1,700 Slot Machines999 North 2nd Streetwww.lumiereplace.com
Mark Twain Casino – La Grange600 Slot Machines104 Pierce Streetwww.marktwaincasinolagrange.com
River City Casino – Lemay2,000 Slot Machines777 River City Casino Boulevardwww.rivercity.com
St. Jo Frontier Casino – St. Joseph556 Slot Machines777 Winners Circlewww.stjofrontiercasino.com

History of Missouri Gambling

Modern gambling in Missouri started in 1984. There were two forms of gambling that date back to the state’s early days and into its territorial ones. Horse racing began in the 1750s. By 1800, there were 20 racetracks in St. Louis. Wagers were accepted through gray area bookmaking operations. Horse racing became illegal in Missouri in 1905.

Missouri casinos operated on riverboats in waterside communities during the 1800s. This was commonplace during that era. These riverboats survived through the prohibition days but were never technically legal. Authorities looked the other way.

Horse racing returned in 1984. Tracks struggled through the early years. The state was unwilling to permit off-track betting on days where there were no live races. This was done to encourage live racing days but it had the opposite effect. The inability to subsidize tracks with simulcast betting revenue contributed to the industry’s collapse once casinos were legalized in 1994.

Voters approved a constitutional amendment to create a state lottery the same year the horse racing industry was revived. The Missouri Lottery is permitted to hold games of chance. These include instant games, lotto drawings, and keno for money.

Voters returned to the polls in 1992 to approve riverboat casinos. The President Casino became the first Missouri casino when it opened on a boat that had been a part of the Mississippi River since 1907. It opened in 1994. Casino St. Charles opened around the same time. Admission fees were charged at the time. They ranged from $2 to $5, depending on the day of the week. Casinos in Missouri were only open from 10 am to 1 am. Excursions were for two hours. Players could not lose more than $500 per two-hour cruise. Some boats in the early years never left the dock. The cruise time was simply the period where the anchor was lifted.

Restrictions were relaxed over the years. The biggest inconvenience for gamblers was the $500 loss limit every two hours. This caused players to do unusual things. Gamblers would sell chips in bathrooms. Poker players were forced to stockpile chips to have the bankroll to sit in higher limit games. That is because a player could not buy-in to any casino game for more than $500 during a set two-hour period. This covered slot machines, video poker, table games, and poker tables.

Missouri was the last state with a casino loss limit. A statewide referendum did away with the $500 loss limit in 2008.

Missouri Casinos & Gambling FAQ

Is there a state lottery in Missouri?

Yes. Games include scratch-off tickets, lotto drawings, and keno games.

Horseracing is legal in the state but there are no tracks.

Off-track betting is technically legal in Missouri but there are no places to make the wagers in the state.

No. Off-track betting is only legal at tracks on race days. There are no active tracks in Missouri.

The sites claim legality under Missouri’s skill gaming laws even though there is no specific statute addressing it. The state’s attorney general and legislature have not acted on the issue although a bill is pending that would legalize it.

Yes, there are currently 13 Missouri casinos. They must be located on or near the water.

The minimum Missouri gambling age is 16 years for charity gambling, 18 years for lottery and horse racing, and 21 years for casino gambling.

No. The $500 casino loss limit was repealed in 2008.

Missouri does not have a statewide smoking ban.