Missouri bettors wagered $207.5 million in August 2026 and sportsbooks kept just $12,672,673, a hold of 5.29% that interrupted five straight months of rising margins.

The state collected $1,373,966. Handle was essentially flat against August 2025, down less than 1%, which means the entire 35.7% drop in revenue came from margin rather than volume.

Missouri’s sports betting market opened on December 1, 2025, and its first half-year has followed the trajectory every new market follows.

Launch months are defined by promotional spending, with operators pouring free bets and bonus credits into customer acquisition, and because those credits are deducted before revenue is reported, early margins look thin by design.