Even if some states made changes of legislation and gambling bill, the situation remains unchanged for Missouri online casinos. Many casino fans in Missouri are expecting to see some positive legal alterations allowing them to play some casino games. If you are one among many people wondering what is the current legal situation concerning gambling in Missouri, stay tuned.
Gather all the information about the legal status of online casinos, poker regulations and the best casinos in the state.
Missouri Online Casinos Laws
Unfortunately, Missouri online casinos are illegal. It is important to note that none of the internet gambling forms are legal in Missouri. And, that is not all – among the forbidden gambling forms are also sports betting and tribal gaming. Horse racing betting is legal in MO.
Gambling in Missouri & Casino Laws
As in most of the other states, gambling is sort of a taboo. Although it is one of the world’s most popular type of entertaining, gambling is still not legal in Missouri. Here are some of the allowed gambling forms, so let’s take a look at them:
- Casinos are allowed only when they are river-based. Gambling is allowed at different Riverboat casino Missouri.
- The state lottery is also regulated and allowed in Missouri. Moreover, both state and multistate drawings are offered.
- Charity gambling is yet another gambling type that is allowed. The gamblers are allowed to play bingo and raffles at various charity events.
- Sweepstakes are yet another gambling form regulated and allowed by the law.
- Playing fantasy sports is treated as legal.
- Betting on races is also considered legal in Missouri.
Note that only the users of legal age can gamble inside the state. Additionally, the age restriction is not the same for all categories. For example, the players interested in entertaining themselves in casinos have to be at least 21 years old. Those interested in the lottery have to be 18+ and for playing bingo the age limit is 16+.
How To Legally Gamble in Missouri?
Casinos are legal in the state in question only as riverboat casino Missouri. The entire casino industry in Missouri is based on the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. If you want to gamble legally, casinos in Missouri are the only option. To be precise, the law encourages gambling at the two waterways, and it also allows casinos on other human-made formations.
Best Casinos in Missouri
Most of the river-based casinos are in Kansas City. So, the players from Missouri interested in playing some casino games can head there and have some fun. When in Kansas, the casino options are the Ameristar Casino Hotel, Harrah’s North Kansas City, and Isle of Capri Casino. Furthermore, plenty of casino games such as blackjack, roulette, and poker are available at any of the riverboat casino Missouri.
Clearly, the two biggest cities in the state have the biggest number of casinos. But, there are casinos all the way from the east border of Missouri to Isle of Capri Boonville. In addition, there are tons of river-based casinos in cities such as St. Charles, Riverside, Maryland Heights, etc. Here’s what other cities offer:
- Ameristar Casino Resort Spa
- Saint Jo Frontier Casino
- Century Casino Cape Girardeau
- Argosy Casino Hotel & Spa
- Hollywood Casino Saint Louis
- Lumiere Place Casino & Hotel
It is difficult to list all the best Missouri casinos even if the most popular US brands operate there. The most famous casinos are the two active casinos, both under the Ameristar, Pinnacle Entertainment. One of them is located in Kansas City while others operate in St. Louis. The Kansas City one is bigger and it offers everything from slots, table games, poker, tournaments, etc.
Missouri Online Poker
When it comes to poker, it is legal to play it in Missouri only at the river-based casinos. In fact, the poker fans will be able to find all sorts of poker variants there. Fun fact is that no individual can declare as a professional poker player or a professional gambler for that matter.
Due to the strict gambling laws, one cannot play poker or any other casino game in Missouri. Only licensed casinos are legal. Legal casinos of Missouri can offer both real-money poker and play for fun poker. Plus, Missouri online poker is not legal in this state just like all other online casino games.
Missouri Casinos History & Expectations
In the beginning, only charitable gambling was legal in Missouri. As we already mentioned, this includes playing bingo and raffles at various charity events. Afterward, in 1986 the state lottery became legal and around that time the growing popularity of gambling started.
The Missouri gambling laws concerning riverboat casino appeared in 1992. Soon after 1992, the State Court annulled this gambling law. Later, in 1994, the creation of the Missouri Riverboat Gambling Amendment changed it all. Finally, the land-based, or better said, river-based casinos become legal.
A few years later, certain changes in Missouri gambling laws made gambling on the man-made moats or ponds legal too. All of this led to the present when Missouri has 13 riverboat casinos. The player can play different casino games inside the borders of Missouri. Some of the available games are poker, roulette, slots and table games.
What Can We Expect?
For now, no one can claim that there will be any changes related to gambling laws. As a matter of fact, it probably realistic to expect a change in the bill concerning online gambling. There are no speculations about this. However, there is no doubt that online casinos, online betting, and mobile apps could become legal in Missouri one day.
