sports gambling

Since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized sports betting in 2018, nearly 40 states have legalized the practice, including Kansas and Missouri. As professional sports teams partner with sportsbooks and gambling scandals continue to affect leagues, how much is the integrity of sports at risk?

A new report finds that states with legalized sports betting aren’t doing enough to protect people from gambling trouble.

Missourians bet more than half a billion dollars in the first month of legal sports wagering, but just over $500,000 came back to the state as tax revenue.

More than a year after Missouri voters narrowly approved the legalization of sports betting, the books are now open across the state. Missourians wagered more than $543 million in December, although the state made little tax revenue from that. Now a bill could legalize video lottery terminals.

Missouri's top gambling official expects "an uptick in bets" for the first Super Bowl since the state legalized sports betting. But the state won't likely make much in revenue from the bets.

After providing more than $100 million in free plays to lure customers, FanDuel and DraftKings, the sports books dominating the state market, paid no taxes.

The commission unanimously denied a request from the National Collegiate Athletic Association to ban bets on college athletes and first-half wager point spreads for men's and women's basketball games. However, the issue could be revisited in the future.

Missouri Speaker of the House Jon Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, who was in St. Louis at an event for DraftKings, said much of the tax revenue from legal sports betting in the state is expected to go to public schools. But it's unclear how much money they'll actually get.

Missourians narrowly passed Amendment 2 in 2024, which legalized sports betting in the state. As of December 1, people can now bet in person at casinos as well as through a variety of mobile apps like DraftKings or FanDuel.

Sports betting became legal in Missouri this week. It marks the end of a years-long effort that came down to a statewide vote, and will likely transform the sports industry throughout the state. Plus: Lesser prairie chickens used to roam across Kansas and the Great Plains by the millions, but now there’s only a few thousand.

Sports betting launches in Missouri on Dec. 1. Customers will be able to start signing up with different sportsbooks beginning Nov. 17.

Sports betting is expected to start in Missouri on Dec. 1. But some are concerned about the consequences of making gambling so easy to access. Plus: Beef is as expensive as it’s ever been, thanks to the high cost of cattle. When will prices come down?