The Missouri sports betting market is taking shape. In exactly two months, bettors in the Show-Me State will be allowed to register accounts and submit deposits at approved sportsbooks. That includes the two untethered and eight tethered licensees who have been approved by the Missouri Gaming Commission. The state’s market will go live with betting odds on Dec. 1, just over a year after legalization was approved at the ballot. A critical step forward The MGC shared that 10 sportsbooks applied for sports betting operators’ licenses before last Friday’s deadline for the first window. Sportsbooks can still apply, but they will not be eligible for the Dec. 1 launch. Operators will pay 10% of their gross gaming revenue to the state. The approved Missouri sportsbooks that are expected to be ready for the Dec. 1 launch include: >bet365 >BetMGM >Caesars >Circa (untethered) >DraftKings (untethered) >ESPN Bet >Fanatics >FanDuel >Kambi >Underdog However, the Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) said it would allow companies that mailed their applications with postmark dates up to Sept. 12 to join the Dec. 1 launch, assuming the sportsbooks are approved for operation. The state regulator has also received 1,113 applications for companies tied to sports betting, including suppliers, vendors, stakeholders who own at least a 5% share of a company, and sportsbook operators. Many of the applications are tied to the same operator. For example, 300 applications were related to BetMGM, 221 were tied to Penn Sports Interactive, and 181 were associated with Underdog Sports. Applicants also didn’t complete the regulatory process simply by submitting their applications. The MGC will hold meetings on Sept. 23-24 to hear from applicants, who must submit to the commission information regarding house rules and internal controls. Moving toward the full launch When Missouri legalized sports betting, it allowed for up to 14 online sportsbooks in its state market. That included two untethered and 12 tethered licenses, to go with 19 retail sports betting operators’ licenses. The untethered licenses were decided first. They were the most lucrative, since the recipients don't have to split their revenue with a land-based affiliate. DraftKings, one of the two dominant powers in American sports betting, unsurprisingly received an untethered license. Circa Sports unexpectedly beat out FanDuel, the nation’s leading sportsbook, for the other untethered license. Circa has a much smaller customer base and caters to sharp bettors with higher limits and a lower vig. Six of the remaining eight operators that are allowed to register customers have secured market access partners. They are: >bet365 - St. Louis Cardinals >BetMGM - Century Casinos >Fanatics - Boyd Gaming >FanDuel - St. Louis City SC >ESPN Bet - Hollywood Casino and River City Casino >Caesars - Harrah’s Kansas City and Horseshoe St. Louis >Kambi and Underdog – the latter of which offers only traditional sports betting in one other state – have not announced their partners.