There has been a decent push from the Missouri Gaming Commission to move things forward, but for now, residents who want to get in on the action can turn to social sportsbooks – offering a fun, community-driven way to get onto sports wagering.

But Jan Zimmerman, chair of the Missouri Gaming Commission —which is tasked with implementing the emergency rules, regulations and licensing — told KCUR’s “Up To Date” she expects wagers to be placed by summer.

“There’s some advantages, I guess, to being relatively late to the game,” Zimmerman said.

Missouri is taking advantage of knowledge from other agencies across the country, but Zimmerman said there are challenges because Missouri is bound by the language of the initiative petition.

The Missouri Gaming Commission first needs to create regulations, which require approval by the Governor and Secretary of State. After a 30-day public input period, the state can begin issuing gambling licenses.