Missouri Riverboat Casinos up 9% as the Countdown for Sports Betting is on

Riverboat casinos in Missouri saw 9% year-on-year revenue increases in August, from $163.3 million to $177.5 million. 

Of the total, table games generated $25.7 million, a rise of 21.5% from the $23.9 million generated in August of 2024. Electronic table games generated $30,683, and slots generated a total of $151.8 million, a 9% increase from the $139.3 million the year prior. 

In other news, Missourians will soon be able to bet on sports legally, thanks to the introduction of legal sports betting in the state, which launches on December 1. After Amendment Two was narrowly passed in November 2024, the new licenses will see casino collaborations and independent licenses for a variety of sportsbook platforms. 

Mixed Results for Missouri Casinos 

The latest report from the Missouri Gaming Commission showed that of the 13 riverboat casinos in the state, 9 saw year-on-year rises, some in the double digits, two remained stagnant, and two experienced losses. 

The highest revenues were generated by the Ameristar SC, which generated $27.3 million and saw a rise of 7% year-on-year, and the River City Casino, which saw a double-digit year-on-year rise of 11% and generated just over $24 million in revenue. 

Despite generating one of the lowest revenues in the state, Century Caruthersville saw the highest increase year-on-year of 37%, with revenue rising from $3.9 million to $5.4 million. 

Bally’s Kansas City and St. Jo Frontier were the only casinos to experience year-on-year losses of 5% and 2% respectively, and St. Jo Frontier also generated the second-lowest income in the state for August. 

Missouri Gaming Commission Making Decisions  

In the previous months, sportsbooks have been gearing up to launch in the state, and the Missouri Gaming Commission has been busy awarding licenses. 

Under Amendment 3, the 13 casinos in the state and the six professional sports teams have the opportunity to collaborate with sportsbooks to offer sports betting to Missouri residents, along with two untethered licenses to offer online sportsbooks. 

It is predicted that at least $100 million will be generated in the first five years from the 10% tax on providers' profits. This money will go directly to Missouri schools, which tax revenue that Missouri is currently missing out on, as seven of eight neighboring states already offer sports betting. 

VP and General Manager of Hollywood and River City Casinos, Mike Jerleck, also expressed excitement that sports betting could ramp up foot traffic to casinos in the state. 

“For our properties and our mobile application, ESPN Bet, it is a big deal. It will bring additional people into the casinos. Maybe we get increased table game business, increased slot business, and increased food and beverage revenue. That helps with job creation. That helps with paying taxes,” he told Fox2Now.

Exciting Collaborations and Untethered Licenses 

After DraftKings and Circa Sports were awarded the two untethered licenses, other sportsbooks have been announcing collaborations with casinos and sports teams in the state to offer online and retail sports betting. 

After surprisingly losing out on one of the untethered licenses, FanDuel announced a collaboration with Major League Soccer team St. Louis City SC. 

Sportsbook Fanatics announced in August that it would partner with Boyd Gaming to offer sports betting online and in the Ameristar Casino locations in St. Charles and Kansas City. ESPN BET has collaborated with Argosy Riverside Casino, River City Casino, and Hollywood Casino through a partnership with PENN Entertainment to also offer online and retail betting.