Missouri dollars being sent out of state where sports betting is legal

ST. LOUIS – Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs were the big winners of Super Bowl LVII. But even though the Missouri team took home the trophy, it’s the state of Illinois coming away with Show Me State’s money.

“This year, we took in over a million dollars in bets, when you consider Saturday and Sunday,” said Mike Hastey, sportsbook manager at DraftKings at Casino Queen. “I think a lot of those bets are coming from Missouri residents coming across the border to place their bets on the Super Bowl, or any other sport that they’re interested in.”

The Land of Lincoln had the jump when it came to medicinal and recreational marijuana sales. And Illinois legalized sports betting in June 2019. The first retail sports betting location opened in Illinois in March 2020 and at the Casino Queen in August 2020.“When you look at it, a lot of the states that border Missouri have wagering that is legalized,” Hastey said. “And I think they’re losing out on a lot of that revenue that is going out in every direction of the state, so I do think they’re missing out.”

In 2022, Missouri introduced sports betting legislation for the fifth straight year. The House passed the bill, but the Senate did not.

Getting support from Major League clubs like the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals and St. Louis’ trifecta of pro teams: the Cardinals, Blues, and CITY SC.

Sunday’s Super Bowl ads showed a number of ways to bet using smartphones, but if you’re a Missouri resident trying to do so, you’ll be out of luck, due to technology.

“It looks at the location of your phone,” Hastey said. “You don’t really have to be too far into Illinois before it recognizes you’re in Illinois to place a bet. We have a lot of Missouri residents that just drive across the bridge, stop at a gas station and make their bets, and drive back across the bridge.”

The Missouri Legislature is considering a bill for 2023 that would legalize sports betting in the state.