Bettors in Missouri placed more than $540 million in wagers in December, the first full month of legal sports betting in the state, according to the Missouri Gaming Commission’s initial Sports Wagering Revenue Detail Report.
Total handle reached $543,039,131.41 following the December 1 launch.
Operators reported combined gross winnings of about $104 million for the month. After payouts and statutory deductions tied to promotional credits and sign-up bonuses, sportsbooks recorded a net loss of $20.8 million. As a result, tax payments to the state totaled $521,000.
Industry participants typically expect early losses during market launches due to customer acquisition spending. In December, sportsbooks paid out about $437 million on winning wagers and issued roughly $125 million in promotional free-play bets.
Digital dominance and market positioning
Mobile wagering accounted for nearly all activity, with about $538 million wagered online versus $4.15 million at retail locations, or roughly 99% of handle. Based on December handle, Missouri ranked just inside the top 15 US sports betting markets for the month, between Indiana and Tennessee, influenced by promotional activity.
FanDuel opened as the largest operator by handle, taking $212 million, or 39% of the statewide total. The operator won $46.0 million in gross revenue but posted a net loss of $7.19 million after payouts and promotions.
DraftKings followed with $195 million in wagers for a 36% share. Despite $31.6 million in gross winnings, it reported a $16.9 million net loss due to promotional deductions.
Bet365 placed third with $57.7 million in handle and $18.3 million in gross revenue, resulting in a net win of $3.83 million.
Other online operators reported the following December results:
- BetMGM: $28.1 million handle (5.2%) | $2.00 million revenue (1.93%)
- Fanatics: $22.6 million (4.2%) | $2.22 million (2.14%)
- Caesars: $14.5 million (2.7%) | $2.19 million (2.12%)
- theScore Bet (Penn): $6.25 million (1.2%) | $1.02 million (1.0%)
- Circa: $1.42 million (0.3%) | $117,394 (0.1%)
Retail results and betting mix
Retail sportsbooks generated $4.15 million in handle and $930,883 in gross revenue. Ameristar St. Charles led retail locations with $824,880 in wagers. The Ameristar sportsbooks operate under Fanatics branding through a market-access partnership with Boyd.
By sport, football drew about $150 million in wagers, or 28% of handle, producing $9.9 million in revenue, or 9.5%. Basketball followed with just over $100 million in wagers and $11.6 million in revenue.
Parlays accounted for $213 million, representing 39% of handle, while generating $74.2 million in revenue, more than 70% of total take. Operators held 35% on parlay bets.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/02/02/117391-missouri-sportsbooks-log-543m-handle-in-december-during-opening-month
