Guide to Missouri Gambling Age: Casinos, Sports Betting & More

Missouri is known for its draconian approach to gambling, with few forms of legal betting and little enthusiasm shown to embrace modern developments. However, residents who are fans of a wager shouldn’t be disheartened there are still a few forms of gaming that have been established in Missouri by making use of loopholes in state gambling legislation.

In this page we will give a good overview of gambling in Missouri as well as letting you know the legal Missouri gambling age applies to each form of legalized gaming . We will also offer some insight into any upcoming changes in state law and whether any new forms of gambling will be made legal in Missouri in the near future.

In the table above we have included the legal gambling ages for each form of legal gambling in Missouri, if there isn’t an age listed below a form of gambling then it is most likely illegal or still in the process of being legalized.

In the sections below we will go into more detail regarding the legal gambling age for each form of legalized gambling in Missouri as well as giving you some further insight into the background of each form of gambling’s legality.

Casino Age in Missouri

While land-based casino gambling is illegal in Missouri, operators have found a work around in riverboat casinos which were legalized in 1992. Riverboat casinos are moored at various locations across the state and work around state laws by not being classed as bricks and mortar, at last count there are 13 riverboats operating in Missouri.

Casino regulations for riverboats are not that strict when it comes to games so gamblers can find electronic slot machines and a wide range of table games including blackjack, roulette, craps and casino poker. The legal Missouri gambling age for entering riverboat casinos is 21 across all boats operating in the state.

The gambling casino age for Missouri is likely set to 21 as 21 is also the legal drinking age across the US. Most riverboat casinos serve alcohol on board, however unlike other states in the US riverboats are forbidden from serving complimentary drinks on board.

With a growing casino market in neighboring states of Kansas and Arkansas these new casinos are encroaching on Missouri’s gambling turf. If Missouri was looking to compete by setting up new casinos within its borders it will be an uphill battle. Legislation that was passed in 2008 prohibits any new riverboat casino entering the commercial market without a statewide referendum approving the new casino.

What are The Casinos In Missouri that accept 18 year Olds?

There are no casinos in Missouri that accept 18 year olds, the casino age for entry to Missouri’s riverboats is 21. Sticking with the Show-Me State’s conservative approach to gambling, where possible age limits are set high in order to actively discourage younger residents from gambling.

18 year old residents should not be discouraged though, 18 year olds are permitted to play the state lottery, place pari-mutuel bets at state fairs and play charitable games of bingo.

For those above the age of 21 who are interested in gambling at a riverboat casino in Missouri, we have gathered together the addresses of the top eight riverboat casinos currently operating.

Sports Betting In Missouri

Sports betting is not legal in Missouri. However, there have been moves in recent years to legalize sports betting within the Show-Me State. As recently as 2018 six bills were introduced to the state legislature relating to sports betting, unfortunately none of them passed and were made into law. The main issue appears to be that the state senate cannot yet agree on what integrity fees would be due, until this issue is resolved it doesn’t look like sports betting in any form, be it online or in person, will be legal in Missouri any time soon.

One form of sports gambling that has been legal in Missouri for some decades is pari-mutuel horse race betting, which was legalized in 1984. Under these laws residents in Missouri are able to place bets on horse racing, but these bets can only be placed in person on race days. There is one major hitch though, as there are no longer any horse racetracks operating in Missouri there are no races for residents to bet on.

One additional form of sports gambling that is also legal in Missouri is Daily Fantasy Sports, which has been legal since 2016 when it was defined as a game of skill rather than chance by the state legislature. We will discuss Daily Fantasy Sports in more detail later on this page.

Missouri Online Gambling Age

Online gambling is illegal in all forms in Missouri, this includes online casinos and betting sites. As there is no legal internet betting there is also no legal online gambling age in Missouri. The ban on online gambling fits with Missouri’s historic approach of adopting a very conservative approach when it comes to new laws being introduced.

While many states in America are adopting online gambling as it creates a new revenue stream for state funds, Missouri’s current gambling market is still continually growing year on year so there doesn’t seem to be any financial need or impetuous for the state legislature to push for the legalization any time soon.

While not all states have online gambling residents might still be able to access gambling websites of other states as well as offshore websites that claim US residents can gamble on them. As all forms of online gambling are illegal in Missouri, residents should not gamble on any out of state or offshore gambling websites as they could be prosecuted should they be found doing so. Additionally, any offshore websites are not registered or licensed in the US and therefore US based players would not be covered by any federal consumer protection laws.

While online gambling is illegal in Missouri there are still some other forms of gaming that are legal in Missouri to find out what these are and the legal gambling ages associated with each check out our easy to read gambling ages table at the top of this page.

MO Poker Gambling Age

As is the case with all forms of online gambling, online poker is illegal in Missouri. In direct contrast, in person poker games are legal but only at the riverboat casinos that populate the city. As the only available poker rooms are located in the Show-Me State’s riverboat casinos all players must meet the legal casino age to enter, as discussed earlier the legal gambling age for casinos is 21 in Missouri.

As mentioned earlier Missouri is not a fan of online gambling and there doesn’t seem to be any concrete moves to legalize any form of online gambling soon, therefore online poker is likely to stay illegal in Missouri in the near future.

Daily Fantasy Sports

Across the US states Daily Fantasy Sports generally occupies a very grey area of the law, with there being an ongoing discussion as to whether it fits the traditional definition of gambling being a game of chance or if in fact it is instead a game of skill. Unlike the states that have left Daily Fantasy Sports to languish in grey legal obscurity, Missouri has taken a definite stance and legalized Daily Fantasy Sports in 2016.

Legalizing not only allowed the residents of Missouri legally enjoy Daily Fantasy Sports, it also enabled the state to regulate the operators. Once the law was passed Daily Fantasy Sports then fell under the purview of the Missouri Gaming Commission. Further, the law enabled the state to apply an 11.5% annual revenue tax alongside making all operators pay an annual licensing fee, thus making the legalization of Daily Fantasy Sports an incredibly lucrative move for Missouri state.

Legal Age to Play the Lottery in Missouri

Missouri has had a state lottery in play since 1986, the legal gambling age to participate is 18. Residents of Missouri have the opportunity to play not only just the state lottery but also multi-jurisdictional games. In a move that appears at odds with Missouri’s general aversion to online gambling, there is also an online lottery available to Missouri residents.

The state lottery is managed by the Missouri Lottery Commission, who have managed the lottery since its inception in 1986. As with all other state-run lotteries across the US, the revenue from the lottery itself is reinvested into state infrastructure, in the case of Missouri the revenue is invested in the education system. Over the years the lottery has invested billions into the state’s education system, through embracing all popular lottery forms and diversifying online the popularity of Lottery in Missouri doesn’t look like it will wane anytime soon.

Breaking from its traditional roots, Missouri recently legalized an online lottery. Through taking the lottery online residents can now purchase tickets from the comfort of their own home via the Missouri Lottery website or app. Those interested in purchasing a ticket should note that any Missouri lottery ticket can only be purchased online within the state borders – any tickets purchased from another state will not be valid.

Missouri Gambling Laws & Future Outlook

Missouri’s gambling laws can be found in the state’s statutes under crimes and punishments Chapter 572. Under this chapter gambling is defined as ‘a person engages in gambling when he or she stakes or risks something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under his or her control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that he or she will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome.’ There are also special provisions within this description to exclude bone fide business transactions from the gambling definition.

Using the definition of gambling under the criminal code, this would appear to cover all popular forms of wagering across the US. When it comes to legalizing certain betting activities, Chapter 572.015 states that activities included within Article III are exempt and constitutionally authorized forms of gambling, this list includes bingo, state lottery, riverboat casinos and pari-mutuel wagering. Daily Fantasy Sports is not included in the list of exemptions as it is considered a game of skill and therefore is not subjugated to state gambling laws.

Currently the Missouri gambling market is very healthy and growing at a rate of around 1% a year. In 2019 riverboat casinos alone left a $3.45 billion economic footprint on the state. With the ever-increasing popularity of online gambling the one aspect that might hinder further growth from the Missouri market would be if the state is too late to adopt further online gambling formats and end up losing out on this corner of the market.

There are taxes applied to gambling winnings in Missouri. Any winnings are considered personal income and therefore must be declared on an individual’s personal tax return at the end of each fiscal year. Winnings will then be taxed at each individual’s personal tax rate. The only exception to this is state lottery winnings which are also subject to 24% federal taxes when the value of the winnings is above $5,000. For any lottery winnings above $600 the state also applies a 4% state tax.

The current outlook for gambling in Missouri is good, with a healthy revenue that is continually growing each year if things continue as they are the future looks bright. However, there is the risk that the growing markets in surrounding states such as Kansas and Arkansas could take away business from Missouri’s long-established riverboat casino industry. To remain competitive in the expanding market Missouri may need to rethink its approach to online gambling and potentially look to legalizing online casino gambling.

One way in which legislators within Missouri are seeking to diversify the gambling offering in Missouri is through legalizing sports betting. As mentioned earlier on this page, in 2018 alone six bills were introduced to the state legislature proposing the legalization of sports betting, but none of them were passed into law. For now, it seems that the legislature itself cannot agree on the ins and outs of sports betting and the taxes applied to it, so until this can be resolved it looks as if sports betting will remain in gambling purgatory.

Frequently Asked Questions

We hope that this page has provided you with a good introduction to the legal status of all forms of popular gambling in Missouri, as well as giving you an insight into the legal Missouri gambling age. If you still have any outstanding questions that need answers, take a look at our answers to the most frequently asked questions below. To find out how Missouri compares to other US states, head to our breakdown the the USA’s gambling ages.