19May
Missouri Casinos and Gambling
Short Summary: This page looks at the different forms of gambling in the State of Missouri, discusses the legality of online gambling and gives a detailed listing of all of the Commercial and Tribal casinos in the state.
Top 4 United States: Missouri Casinos
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Named after a Native American tribe, Missouri’s official state motto is ‘Salus populi suprema lex esto,’ which translates to ‘The Welfare of the People is the Highest Law.’
Its name comes from the word ouemessourita, which means “people who have wooden canoes.”
It is, however, not universally believed that the nickname, the Show-Me State, came from a Missouri congressman saying, “I am from Missouri. You have got to show me.”
Missouri is known for many unique features, from being a home to the American bison, the biggest mammal in North America, to boasting various trees such as white oak, eastern redbud, and black walnut. But the state is even more known for its prairies, where hundreds of grass species grow.
Many native American tribes lived there for centuries, including Missouri, Osage, Illini, and Chickasaw, after the first people inhabited the land 20,000 years ago.
However, that does not mean there are any tribal casino venues in Missouri; it is quite the contrary!
Regarding land-based casinos…
…the state of Missouri has 13 riverboat casinos.
What’s more, in 1993, it became one of the first states to legalize riverboat casinos.
While online gambling remains unregulated, sports betting is now legal in Missouri. Casinos across the state now offer retail sportsbooks, and residents can also place bets through licensed online platforms.
Casinos are mainly located on the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, although the state allows them to float on artificial bodies of water. However, more riverboat casinos cannot enter the market without a statewide referendum approving them.
St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs are two iconic sports teams in Missouri, making it a perfect market for sports betting. The legalization of sports betting in 2024 has now made this potential a reality.
When most people consider Missouri, they probably think of Branson, a tourist mecca filled with arts, crafts, and a variety of musical acts. While the area nestled in the Ozark Mountains certainly does its part to draw in out-of-state revenue, the casinos scattered about Missouri are just as proficient at generating cash for the government’s coffers.
Missouri is more liberal on gambling than they are in most other areas, and were one of the first states in the country to authorize commercial casinos. These casinos came in the form of riverboats, which basically just means that they were built on barges, which technically puts them in the water; the ‘boats’ don’t go anywhere.
Other forms of gambling in the state include charitable gaming, which also allows for certain games of skill. The organizations conducting the gambling pay license fees while the taxes are assessed on the sale of the gambling products, in other words, the suppliers of the products pay the taxes.
Horse racing is legal within the state, as is pari-mutuel wagering;
Missouri’s gambling landscape was marked by minimal offerings and legislative stagnation despite a clear demand for modernization. Although horse racing is technically legal, the state has no racetracks or simulcast wagering facilities in its casinos, and greyhound racing remains prohibited.
Daily fantasy sports (DFS), considered a game of skill, was the sole exception to Missouri’s conservative stance on gambling, having been regulated early compared to other forms of wagering.
History of Gambling in Missouri
If we take a look at the gambling history in Missouri, we will mostly come across riverboat casinos and horse racing since these could operate without regulation during the 19th century!
However, in 1905, authorities banned all of these types of operations!
It was not until 1980 that Missouri voters approved charitable bingo, while in 1984, legal gambling was again introduced to the state with the legalization of horse racing and the establishment of an official lottery.
However, ever since riverboats were approved in 1992 and started gaining popularity, the local racetracks became less popular and eventually stopped hosting live races!
Established in 1993 by the 87th General Assembly, the Missouri Gaming Commission started regulating excursion gambling boats.
In addition, they ensure that gaming operations and games are conducted appropriately, in accordance with their rules, and with full disclosure. As already mentioned, a total of 13 riverboat casinos operate in Missouri.
In 1994, the MGC established the Charitable Gaming Division to ensure gaming integrity and to regulate bingo and other associated games to provide players with honest games.
Two years later, the Missouri Gaming Commission began regulating the Missouri Fantasy Sports Consumer Protection Act.
Operators of daily fantasy sports contests in Missouri must obtain a license from MGC and pay a fee. The MGC issues licenses, investigates applicants and violations, and collects the payments.
Finally, riverboat casinos were allowed to remain moored in 1998 after voters approved a ballot amendment.
In 2024, the most significant change occurred when voters approved Amendment 2, legalizing sports betting statewide. This expanded the Missouri Gaming Commission’s regulatory oversight to include both retail and online sports betting. The first bets are expected to be placed by the end of 2025.
Attempts to Legalize Sports Betting & Current Gambling Regulations in Missouri
Although the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, PASPA, was abolished in 2018, Missouri lawmakers initially struggled to legislation legalizing sports betting.
For years, numerous bills were introduced but failed to gain full approval. In 2022, efforts to legalize sports betting advanced significantly but ultimately fell short in the Senate.
In 2024, this changed with the approval of Amendment 2/missouri-voters-narrowly--sports-betting-measure-legalizing-wagering/ , which allowed Missouri voters to decide on the issue. In November 2024, sports betting was legalized statewide, making both retail and online platforms available for residents and visitors.
What Legal Gambling Options in Missouri Are Available Today?
As of now, Missouri offers a wide range of legal gambling options:
- Riverboat Casinos: Missouri is home to 13 casinos that provide slots, table games, and poker.
- Sports Betting: Legalized in 2024, residents can bet on sports through licensed online sportsbooks and retail sportsbooks at casinos.
- Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): Regulated by the Missouri Fantasy Sports Consumer Protection Act, DFS remains a popular choice for players.
- Charitable Bingo: Widely available and regulated by the Missouri Gaming Commission.
- State Lottery: Residents have participated in lottery games since 1986, including the Multi-State Lottery Association.
While online casinos remain unregulated, Missouri’s expanded gambling landscape now offers more opportunities than ever for players.
Legislative Hurdles and Missed Opportunities
Missouri’s legislative efforts to expand gambling, including sports betting and online gaming, were consistently delayed or stalled entirely. A bill introduced in 2022 proposed both retail and online sports betting, outlining partnerships between casinos and major operators like DraftKings and FanDuel, with reasonable licensing fees and a tax rate of 10%. However, the bill failed to before the legislative session ended, forcing the issue into subsequent years.
The 2023 session similarly saw no progress, despite strong interest from operators and residents. Critics noted Missouri’s slow pace, with some pointing to the state’s government as unwilling or unable to capitalize on lucrative opportunities. For instance, states bordering Missouri, such as Kansas and Illinois, quickly implemented sports betting, attracting thousands of Missouri residents who crossed state lines to place wagers.
Missouri’s reluctance to regulate gambling drew sharp criticism, especially from media outlets like The Kansas City Star, which highlighted the potential revenue loss. The state faced declining revenues while struggling to fund essential services like education and infrastructure. Gambling opponents cited concerns over social harm, but proponents emphasized the economic benefits, arguing that legalizing gambling would redirect revenue leakage from untaxed offshore platforms and neighboring states back into Missouri.
Missouri’s gambling policy reflected a broader cultural and political conservatism. Despite early regulation of DFS, efforts to legalize other gambling forms were repeatedly met with resistance. Critics accused lawmakers of prioritizing political caution over practical economic benefits. Representative John Barker’s remarks that Missouri was “not in a race with other states” encapsulated the state’s slow-moving approach, much to the frustration of advocates and local businesses eager to see progress.
Key Barriers to Progress Before 2024
- Horse Racing and Simulcast Wagering: Legal in theory but absent due to lack of infrastructure.
- Online Gambling: Largely prohibited, with residents relying on offshore sites or neighboring states.
- Sports Betting: Proposed legislation failed to multiple times, despite public interest.
While gambling legislation remained stagnant, Missouri showed incremental steps toward change. Proposed bills consistently tied gambling expansion to existing casinos, but progress was slow, reflecting a pattern of cautious decision-making. By 2024, Missouri’s gambling framework remained far behind its neighbors, with many residents turning to alternative means to participate in wagering activities.
Sports Betting
Missouri’s sports betting journey has been marked by persistent efforts and legislative hurdles, culminating in voter approval during the 2024 U.S. Election. Despite attempts to legalize sports wagering prior to the repeal of PASPA in 2018, significant progress was achieved only recently. On November 5, 2024, Missouri voters approved a ballot measure to legalize sports betting, setting the stage for a statewide launch in 2025.
Timeline and Legislative Highlights
Missouri’s legalization of sports betting represents years of political and public advocacy:
- November 5, 2024: Voters approved the sports betting ballot, allowing up to 14 sportsbooks to operate legally in the state.
- November 7, 2024: Bill Miller, CEO of the American Gaming Association, commended Missouri voters for advancing legalized wagering, highlighting its potential to curtail illegal gambling activities.
- November 8, 2024: The Kansas City Chiefs announced that legalization would trigger contract escalators with sportsbooks such as BetMGM and DraftKings.
Efforts to sports betting legislation date back to earlier bills, including HB 556 and SB 824, both of which proposed tax rates and partnership structures for Missouri casinos and professional sports teams. However, prior legislative sessions failed to advance these bills, underscoring the significance of the 2024 voter-led initiative.
Structure and Licensing Framework
Once operational, Missouri will permit up to 14 mobile sportsbooks and introduce retail sportsbooks across its 13 casinos. Licenses will be distributed as follows:
- Six licenses for casinos,
- Six for professional sports teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Cardinals,
- Two “untethered” licenses, likely pursued by major operators
Missouri bettors can anticipate mobile registration, remote creation, and statewide mobile betting from the day of launch, facilitated by the Missouri Gaming Commission.
Responsible Gambling and Restrictions
Missouri emphasizes responsible gaming through initiatives like the Missouri Alliance to Curb Problem Gambling. Bettors will have access to self-exclusion programs and educational resources. Certain restrictions will apply to betting markets, with wagers on politics and entertainment award ceremonies prohibited. Policies on esports and college sports betting remain under consideration.
Top 4 Sportsbooks in United States: Missouri
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Land Casinos In Missouri
There are several casino options in the State of Missouri with most (if not all) being riverboat casinos. There’s no actual reason to designate them one way or the other because, if they are, ‘boats,’ they basically just sit on platforms and don’t actually go anywhere. At this time, there are no Tribal casinos in the Show Me State.
Ameristar Casino Resort Spa, St. Charles
Ameristar Casino Resort Spa is located in St. Charles, Missouri, and is about a half-hour northwest of St. Louis, or two hours northwest of St. Louis, depending on traffic.
I knew Ameristar is owned by Boyd Gaming and is part of the BConnected rewards program as soon as I went to their website, not because their website told me, but because their website is broken on Chrome. It works perfectly fine on Safari, but I’m not going to use Safari because Boyd Gaming takes in billions of dollars per year in revenues and can afford to hire someone to fix this Chrome problem. It’s been this way for years.
The casino floor consists of 130,000 square feet of gaming space, which includes over 2,000 combined slot, video poker and video keno machines. Denominations range from pennies to C-Notes ($100), with the latter being located in the high-limit area.
Table games include, according to their website, “Pai Gow Poker, to name a few, as well as the latest specialty games.” Apparently, Boyd Gaming does not care enough to tell you what those specialty games are, which is no surprise because they also don’t care to have a website that is minimally functional on Google Chrome, so if they don’t care to list them all, nor do we.
Here’s the description of the poker room, “One of the world’s oldest card games, poker has evolved into an all-American favorite. Here, you’ll experience this exciting game as it was meant to be played. the nonstop action in our poker room.” That’s probably the least helpful description ever written. The following section then goes on to talk about the amenities of the poker room, one of which is a Pepsi Spire machine. Apparently, they think they are the only poker room to have soda pop, which means they’ve not been to literally any other poker room anywhere.
Do they bother to list how many poker tables they have or what individual games they deal? Of course not. Why list things relevant to poker in the poker section?
It’s like the site was written by someone who doesn’t know anything about casinos, which would be no surprise, because none of their tech people seem to understand how to make a site operate on Google Chrome.
We know they at least deal Hole ‘Em and Omaha because they mention those bad beat jackpots, but there should be a section just dealing with what kind of games they deal.
The fine dining section includes Asia as well as Bugatti’s Steak and Pasta. Casual dining includes Amerisports Bar & Grill, Falcon Diner, Landmark Buffet, and Pearl’s Oyster Bar. Quick bites include Fifth Street Deli, Falcon Bakery, King Cat Club and Star Club Lounge.
There’s almost certainly some entertainment and nightlife, but we’re not going to get into it until they make their Chrome website at least minimally functional. We like to do comprehensive casino listings here, but the casinos who want to provide us the information on a working website and in great detail deserve to see that detail reflected here.
Ameristar Kansas City
Ameristar Kansas City is owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties, and to our current misfortune, is operated by Boyd Gaming. We say our current misfortune because the result is that their website barely works on Chrome. It’s nearly impossible to navigate and consists only of text.
The property is home to a hotel consisting of over 180 guest rooms and suites as well as a gaming floor consisting of 140,000 square feet of gaming real estate. The property was originally opened as Station Casino, until Ameristar acquired it and changed its name. Since that time, the casino has had a few different parent companies, but has retained the Ameristar name.
The casino boasts nearly 2,800 combined slot, video poker and video keno machines ranging in denominations from pennies to hundreds. Table games include blackjack, craps and roulette. The property is also home to a poker room.
In of individual eateries, this site is somehow worse than the other Boyd sites on Chrome and it keeps navigating me away from the site specifically for this casino and back to the Boyd Gaming main site.
Argosy Riverside
Argosy is a casino located in Riverside, Missouri, which is close to Parkville and could easily be mistaken for still being in Kansas City. It’s along I-635 just southeast of Parkville running along the Missouri River. It’s owned and operated by Penn National Gaming and is part of the MyChoice players club program.
The website indicates a AAA four diamond rating and makes reference to a spa, but none of the other amenities seem to be listed on the hotel page. I called the property and was informed that there are 258 total guest rooms, of which eight of them are suites.
The property is home to over 1,400 combined video poker, video keno and slot machines. The 42 table games include blackjack, craps, roulette, mini-baccarat, Heads Up Hold ‘Em and Cajun Stud. The, “How to play,” section lists other games, but does not specifically say that they are actually available in the casino. As always, if you’re looking for one of the games outside of the casino staples, then we suggest calling ahead for the usual operating hours.
Eateries include the steakhouse, which is called Journey. 99 Hops House is a pub serving pub food as well as any number of craft beers, many of which are local to the Kansas City area. The Lucky Taco is the casino’s Mexican restaurant. The buffet is called the Terrace Buffet. Zoe’s Coffee is the place for coffee and snacks while Leo’s Deli is good for quick bites. Finally, there is an Asian restaurant called Red Lotus Asian Kitchen.
Their website is pretty sparse when it comes to entertainment-related information.
Overall, this is just a mid-sized casino billing itself as a resort due to the hotel and room quality. Having been there, I would suggest that you wouldn’t really build a trip around going to this casino, but it’s worth a stop if you’re in town and might be a great place to stay if you’re going to be around that part of Kansas City anyway. Regardless of where you’re coming from, it’s pretty easy to get to, so that’s a plus.
Harrah’s North Kansas City
Harrah’s North Kansas City is a property consisting of just over 60,000 feet of gaming space and is home to a hotel consisting of nearly 400 guest rooms and suites. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Caesars Entertainment, as such, it is part of the Total Rewards players club program.
After two redirects, we found the amenities which include a fitness center, business center and free wireless internet access for guests. The other, ‘Amenities,’ listed are pretty standard for every hotel in the country. They actually list, “24-hour front desk,” as an amenity, but having someone to check you in is usually considered a pretty fundamental component of a hotel.
The casino floor is made up in part of over 1,300 combined slot, video keno and video poker machines in a wide range of denominations. The website has sections briefly talking about video keno and video poker, but it does not offer individual machine counts for those games and just names a few random video poker games they have. Table games include Blackjack, Mini-Baccarat, Craps, Roulette, Texas Shootout and Pai-Gow Poker. There may well be others, but those are the ones listed by the website. We recommend calling for more information or general hours of your game of choice.
There is a thirteen table poker room, but the page declines to indicate what specific games are dealt. The tournament schedule only indicates Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments, so that is probably the only game that can be assumed to be there. At the time that I frequented that casino (over a decade ago) the only games were Limit Texas Hold ‘Em and No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em. We recommend the Bravo Poker Live app for live information on the poker games taking place at this casino and several others across the country.
The events page highlights a wide variety of acts, regional and national, and can be found here.
Restaurants include the upscale 37’ Steak, The Buffet at Harrah’s is a buffet, Royal Noodle Bar has Asian food and Winning Streaks is a sports pub consisting of typical pub fare and brews. Bite & Bean is the place to go for grab and go.
If you’re in the Kansas City areas and prefer staying at casino properties, we highly recommend this one. Located just North of the River, it’s pretty convenient to most of the highways and is also located within five miles of Isle of Capri Kansas City and five miles of Ameristar Kansas City. It’s partially in-between the two, so it makes a good home base for checking out the city’s casinos. With that said, there’s really not much to it besides the gambling and a few restaurants, so it can hardly be called a destination unto itself.
Hollywood Casino St. Louis
Located in Maryland Heights, Missouri, the Hollywood Casino is located near the population hub of St. Louis northwest of the city and just south of Saint Charles. Travel times can vary significantly depending on traffic and where in the city you’re coming from.
The property consists of 502 rooms, which includes 47 suites. The gaming floor consists of 120,000 square feet, making this one of the biggest gaming floors in the Midwest. The property is owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties, is operated by Penn National Gaming and, as such, is part of the MyChoice players club.
The property was originally Harrah’s St. Louis, but Caesars Entertainment sold it to Penn National, who sold it to Gaming and Leisure Properties, who leased casino operations back to Penn National…in 2012.
Aside from the airport shuttle service and free wireless internet, the things listed as, “Amenities,” are pretty standard to literally any hotel in the country.
The property is home to over 2,000 combined slot machines, video poker and video keno games. The 93 table games include, from their website, “Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Baccarat, and more.” We don’t know what, “And more,” might be, because if they don’t care enough about the players to list all the games they spread, then we won’t list them either. The Asian Gaming section of the site adds Pai-Gow Poker to the list, but beyond that, we would suggest calling them for more information. Or, better yet, going to a casino that actually bothers to tell you what games they have.
The Hollywood AmpiTheatre features a wide variety of regional and national acts and is accessible via a short shuttle bus ride from the casino on concert nights. Hollywood Live consists of live bands and DJ’s that appear at the casino’s bars on weekends.
The steakhouse for this casino is obligatorily named, “Final Cut Steakhouse.” 99 Hops House states they have that number of beer choices and serves bar food, this is also one of the venues for weekend entertainment. The buffet, surprisingly enough, is called Eat Up buffet…almost every other Hollywood’s buffet is called Epic Buffet. Additional eateries include Charlie Gitto’s (Italian), Celebrity Grill, Phat Tai and Hollywood and Grind coffee shop.
Line any other Hollywood Casino, it does what it says on the box. If you’ve seen one Hollywood Casino, then you’ve seen all of them; they are as cookie-cutter as a Microtel. This one just happens to be bigger than most.
Isle Casino Cape Girardeau
Located due South of St. Louis along the Missouri/Illinois border (the Mississippi River) Isle Casino is located along the riverbanks of Cape Girardeau. The property is owned and operated by El Dorado Resorts and, having opened in 2012, is Missouri’s newest casino.
The casino does not have a hotel at this time, but El Dorado Resorts has recently agreed to a sale of the property to Vici Properties who will lease the establishment to Century Gaming, who will handle operations. Century Gaming has indicated that they eventually plan to add a hotel. The sale has been agreed to, but it has not yet been finalized.
In the meantime, the Isle is a locals’ casino in both scope and size, with a gaming floor that comes in at a trim 42,000 square feet.
The casino floor consists of over 850 combined slots, video poker, Baccarat. Given the size of the casino, we strongly encourage you to call ahead for the general hours of your preferred game.
The four poker tables deal Texas Hold ‘Em as well as Omaha on Thursday-Monday early morning. We recommend calling ahead or checking Bravo Poker Live to be sure games are going at your desired time, given the very small size of this casino.
Restaurants include Farraday’s (casual), Keller’s (pub) and The Lone Wolf Express, which is a grab & go. As of this time, the bar called The Lone Wolf features live entertainment on Saturdays.
Long story short, the place is a locals’ casino like any other and basically meets the checklist of virtually any El Dorado Resorts casino that you’ll find anywhere, or most of them. It will be interesting to see if they try to turn the property into something more closely resembling a destination with the addition of the hotel, but for now, we’d say it’s worth a stop if you’re a local or happen to be ing through, nothing more or less.
Isle of Capri-Boonville
The Isle of Capri-Boonville is one of two casinos (Kansas City) in the state to bear the full Isle of Capri moniker. The property is located northwest of the state’s capital of Jefferson City, along the Missouri River. It is owned and operated by El Dorado Resorts and consist of 140 guest rooms and a modestly-sized casino floor.
Wireless internet and a fitness center are the hotel’s only amenities worthy of note. Everything else listed as an amenity is fairly standard for anywhere.
The slot floor consists of just shy of 900 combined slot, video poker and video keno machines. Table games operate during limited hours, which can be found here.
And include Blackjack, Craps, Roulette (live and electronic), Let it Ride, EZ Baccarat, Cajun Stud, Criss Cross Poker and High Card Flush. The typical operating hours of the novelty table games likely differ from the general operating hours, so we recommend calling in advance if you are looking for one of those games.
There are three restaurants which include the Farmer’s Pick Buffet, Farradday’s Bistro and Tradewinds Marketplace, with the last being mostly a grab and go. There is no other form of entertainment listed on the website at this time, though they do a stay and play package consisting of the hotel and golf at a nearby golf course.
This casino basically fits the El Dorado Resorts mold of a locals casino, and if you’ve seen one El Dorado property, you’ve seen most of them. It’s not worth a trip unto itself, but might be worth a stop if you happen to be nearby anyway, mostly just a locals’ casino.
Isle of Capri-Kansas City
The Isle of Capri Kansas City is located along the Missouri River and is just in the area that residents describe as, “North of the River.” If you’re looking for a place that is convenient to other casinos, it’s not a bad choice, given its proximity to Harrah’s and Ameristar. This smallish property is not home to a hotel and is owned and operated by El Dorado Resorts.
The property is home to more than 950 combined slots, video poker and video keno games. Table games operate daily from 10:30a-3:00a and include Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Six Card Poker and Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em. We would recommend calling for the general hours of operation for any game other than Blackjack given how small this casino is.
The two restaurants consist of The Lone Wolf and Tradewinds Marketplace.
This is pretty strictly a locals place, but may be worth a stop if you’re in the area or happen to be staying at one of the area casinos that has a hotel and want to check out somewhere different. Aside from that, if you’ve been to one El Dorado property, then you’ve been to most El Dorado properties and this is no exception, just a little smaller.
Lady Luck Casino
The Lady Luck Casino is located in Caruthersville, MO, and is located along the Mississippi River south of Cape Girardeau, which itself is south of St. Louis. At 21,000 square feet of gaming space, it is very much a locals t and will be among the smaller casino floors you are likely to ever see. El Dorado Resorts has agreed to a sale of this property to Vici Properties, much like the Isle Cape Girardeau, it will then be leased to Century Gaming for its operations.
The property is not home to a hotel, though there is an RV Park located on the property, so that might be an option if you are travelling by that means and are in the area. Obviously, the property is way too small to be worth a visit unto itself.
The machines total over 500 and consist of slots, video poker and video keno. There are nine gaming tables including Craps, Roulette, Mississippi Stud, Three-Card Poker and Trilux, which is a Blackjack and Three-Card Poker hybrid. We recommend calling ahead for the general hours of operation for your game of choice given the casino’s very limited size.
The two restaurants are Otis and Henry’s and Otis and Henry’s Express.
This is smaller than most El Dorado Resorts properties, but is otherwise substantially similar. Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin, in Pennsylvania, would probably be a very close comparison if you’ve ever been there.
Mark Twain Casino
Mark Twain Casino and RV Park is a small casino located in LaGrange, Missouri, which is in the northeast corner of the state along the Mississippi River. The casino was originally owned by Grace Entertainment, but was then purchased by Herbst Gaming which would later change its name to Affinity Gaming.
The casino floor consists of a very small 18,000 square feet, which makes it even smaller than the aforementioned Isle of Capri. Naturally, the property caters mostly to locals, though it is home to an RV park. There are about 430 combined video poker, video keno and slot machines while table games include Blackjack, Craps, Crazy4Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, High Five Poker, E-Blackjack, and E-Roulette. We recommend calling ahead for the usual hours of operation for everything except the electronic games given the small size of the casino.
The two eateries are Huckleberry’s Smokehouse and Winner’s Grill.
Aside from a gift shop, there’s really not much more to it.
Lumiere Place
Lumiere Place is a sizable casino, with a gaming floor that comes in at 75,000 square feet, and is owned and operated by El Dorado Resorts. This hotel casino, located in St. Louis, is within a mile of the St. Louis Arch and is conveniently located Downtown.
The property changed hands a few times and almost went to Gaming and Leisure Properties. That sale from Tropicana Entertainment was prevented due to antitrust concerns as it would give Gaming and Leisure ownership of every casino in the St. Louis area, though they do not operate any of them. As a result, El Dorado Resorts, who was originally set to lease the property from Gaming and Leisure for operations ended up buying it instead.
The property actually consists of two hotels: The Four Seasons and Hotel Lumiere, but both are on the same property. Combined, the two hotels for nearly 500 guest rooms and suites. The property is also home to an entertainment venue seating over 400 people, which is called the Lumiere Theatre.
Hotel amenities include a pool and fitness center, with a spa also located on the Four Seasons side of the establishment. Guests also enjoy complimentary wireless internet access.
Currently, the players club for the property is TropAdvantage, but that is very likely to change with the purchase of Caesars Entertainment by El Dorado set to be completed in 2020. At that point, it is very likely that El Dorado properties will all convert to Total Rewards.
The gaming floor consists of over 1,300 combined slot, video poker and video keno machines. Table Games include Blackjack, Baccarat, Craps, Roulette, Three-Card Poker, Pai-Gow Poker, Let it Ride and Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em. We recommend calling ahead for the typical hours of operation for any of the carnival games. The ten tables in the poker room deal Limit Hold ‘Em, No Limit Hold ‘Em and Pot-Limit Omaha. We recommend the Bravo Poker Live app, if this casino is listed, for up to the minute information on what games are being played.
Restaurants include Cinder House (steak and sea), Morton’s Steakhouse, Ozzie’s Burger Bar, The Kitchen Buffet, The Wok and Sucre (coffee and sandwiches). The property’s main bar is the ultra-modern The Sports Bar.
If you like staying at casino properties, we highly recommend this one if you are visiting the St. Louis area. There isn’t anything particularly unique about it, but it has basically everything that you could want to ensure a comfortable stay, as well as a decent selection of dining options.
River City Casino
River City Casino is located in LeMay, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis (south), and is owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties while operated by Penn National Gaming. At 90,000 square feet of total gaming space, the casino floor occupies significant real estate and is one of the larger ones in the state.
Hotel amenities include wireless internet, a fitness center and a business center. All of the other listed amenities are fairly standard. These are not complimentary as there is a nightly $10, “Amenity Fee,” which is just a different way of saying resort fee. After calling the property, I was able to determine that there are a total of 200 rooms.
Casino floor offerings include just shy of 2,000 combined slots, video poker and video keno machines. The high limit room is home to some slots as well as Blackjack and 21 + 3 games. There is a separate Baccarat room on the property, so those who enjoy that game should be excited about that. Other table games on the main floor include Craps, Craps No More, Roulette, Heads-Up Hold ‘Em, Three Card Prime, Cajun Stud, Sic Bo and Deuces and Joker Wild Poker. We strongly recommend calling ahead for the operating hours of any of the novelty games.
Dining options include 1904 Steak House, Asia Noodles, The Beerhouse, Cibare Italian Kitchen, Burger Brothers, Club 38 and a buffet known as The Great Food Expedition. Judy’s Velvet Lounge is a 1920’s themed lounge which features live entertainment on weekends.
The entertainment schedule is available here.
With any luck, this casino will retain its theme and charm by NOT being rebranded as a Hollywood Casino. We consider it just as solid an option as the Lumiere Place for those visiting the St. Louis area. The Lumiere Place is more convenient to Downtown, of course, but this is an excellent alternative if you want to be outside of the midst of everything.
St. Jo Frontier Casino
St. Jo Frontier Casino is a casino located in St. Joseph, Missouri, along the Missouri River. St. Joseph is roughly forty miles north of Kansas City. The property is owned by Affinity Gaming, and coming in at a slim 18,000 square foot gaming floor, it is the second-smallest casino in the state.
The property is not home to a hotel.
The property features over 420 combined slots, video poker and video keno machines. The table games open at noon every day (as of the time of this writing) and consist of Blackjack, Deuces and Jokers Wild Poker, Electronic Roulette, Craps, Texas Shootout, Mississippi Stud and Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em. We very strongly advise calling ahead for the usual hours of operation for any of the novelty games as it is highly doubtful they are always open.
Eateries include Rivers Edge Restaurant, Rivers Edge Sportsbar and Winner’s Bar and Grill. The apostrophe is in the wrong place on the last restaurant, unless there is only one winner. Occasionally, a live band will appear at the property, but that is hardly typical with only one such scheduled event for the remainder of the year (it’s August now) as of the time of this writing.
Basically, this is just a locals place, but might be worth a stop if you’re ing through the area anyway.
State Lottery in Missouri
Lottery tickets were first sold in the state in 1986. Revenue initially went to a state fund, but voters approved an amendment that would divert the lottery proceeds to public education in 1992.
Missouri conducts a lottery that is part of the multi-state Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots. Topline ticket sales for the lottery came in at $1,400,216,223 of which $939,479,882 were paid out in winnings, for an overall return-to player of 67.1%, which is actually pretty good, for lottery standards. This RTP was driven mostly by scratch-off tickets being extremely popular in the state. There were a total of $906,750,562 dollars in scratchers sales and prizes totaled $627,758,243 for an RTP of 69.23%
The population of Missouri is approximately 6.126 million, there was a total of $460,736,341 lost to the lottery by residents, for a total of $75.21 in losses per resident against $228.57 in sales. For whatever reason, the Mega Millions and Powerball don’t seem to be as popular in Missouri as other states.
Here is the annual lottery report for anyone who cares to read it.
Scratch cards can be purchased for as little as $1, and some versions award up to $250,000. You must be at least 18 to buy any type of lottery product.
The following are the types of lottery games currently available in Missouri:
- Lucky for Life – Offers the winner $1,000 per day for the rest of their life.
- Powerball – Drawn twice a week with a starting jackpot of $40 million.
- Mega Millions – Two drawings are held each week, with jackpots starting at $15 million.
- Monopoly Millionaire’s Club – Each ticket costs $5, and jackpots range from $15 million to $25 million.
- Missouri Lotto – Drawn twice a week, with a progressive jackpot that begins at $1 million.
- Show Me Cash – Drawings take place daily, with a jackpot starting at $50,000.
- Pick 3 – Players try to match three numbers in order to win a variety of prizes.
- Pick 4 – Players try to match four numbers in order to win a variety of prizes.
- Club Keno – Prizes vary, but a drawing is held every four minutes.
Owning a Slot Machine in Missouri
Residents of Missouri can legally own a slot machine for personal use as long as it’s more than 30 years old. While the owner is able to operate the device for entertainment purposes, it cannot be used to generate a profit. This would qualify the machine as an illegal gambling device, which would make it subject to possible seizure and destruction by the state.
Top 20 Online Casinos in Missouri
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1
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Casino Extreme |
200% up to ∞ Sign up |
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Players Accepted
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2
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Casino Brango |
222% up to $500 Sign up |
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3
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Bovada Casino |
125% up to $1,250 |
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4
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MrO Casino |
400% up to $10,000 + 400 Free Spins |
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5
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Win A Day Casino |
100% up to $100 |
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6
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Slotland |
100% up to $100 |
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7
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Lucky Tiger Casino |
300% up to $3,000 Sign up |
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8
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Highway Casino |
250% up to $2,500 |
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9
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Yabby Casino |
200% up to ∞ Sign up |
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10
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Rich Palms Casino |
300% up to $3,000 |
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11
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Shazam Casino |
250% up to ∞ |
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12
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Limitless Casino |
1110% up to $5,000 |
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13
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Eternal Slots Casino |
999% up to $1,000 + 40 Free Spins |
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14
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Lucky Hippo Casino |
300% up to $3,000 |
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15
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RitzSlots Casino |
118% up to $500 |
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16
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Ignition Casino |
150% up to $1,500 |
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17
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CryptoWins Casino |
77% up to ₿1 |
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18
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DaVinci's Gold Casino |
200% up to $/€3,000 |
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19
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JuiceBet Casino |
300% up to $1,000 |
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20
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Fair Go Casino |
100% up to $200 |
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Conclusion
When it comes to gambling in Missouri, the scene is a mix of tradition and new opportunities. While the Show-Me State is still holding out on online casinos, sports betting has now been legalized, adding a significant new dimension to the gambling landscape.
Right now, Missouri is home to 13 riverboat casinos that float along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. These casinos offer a range of games, from slots to table games, and they provide a unique gambling experience you won’t find elsewhere. If you’re more into online gaming, though, you’ll still have to look beyond state lines—Missouri doesn’t currently have legal online casinos.
But don’t worry—there are plenty of ways to play. Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) are up and running in Missouri, giving you a chance to get in on the action with fantasy leagues. Plus, charitable bingo and the state-run lottery are available for a bit of fun and potential winnings. Now, with the legalization of sports betting, residents can also place wagers through licensed online platforms and retail sportsbooks at casinos, further expanding the options for gaming enthusiasts.
For those eager to explore online gambling, we’ve got you covered. We offer an up-to-date list of reviewed casinos where you can and play from within Missouri. Our list includes key details and insights to help you make an informed choice, ensuring you find reputable sites that offer a great gaming experience.
So, while Missouri might not yet have the full suite of gambling options, there’s still plenty to enjoy. With riverboat casinos, DFS, bingo, lotteries, and now sports betting, you’ve got a range of options. And with our detailed casino list, you can dive into online play with confidence. Keep an eye out—Missouri’s gambling scene continues to grow, and the future holds even more possibilities!
Other trusted portals offer insight into Missouri online gambling, while the Missouri Gaming Commission oversees the regulated state gambling market.
Missouri’s gambling landscape has seen a significant shift with the legalization of sports betting in November 2024. This milestone allows for both retail and online sports wagering, bringing the Show-Me State into alignment with many of its neighbors and opening the door to substantial revenue opportunities. With up to 14 licenses available for operators, including partnerships with local casinos and professional sports teams, Missouri is poised to develop a thriving sports betting market.
While the state has made progress, other forms of gambling, such as online casinos and poker, remain illegal, reflecting Missouri’s cautious approach to gambling expansion. However, the legalization of sports betting marks an important step forward, addressing longstanding revenue leakage to neighboring states and offshore platforms.
Missouri’s sports betting legalization signals a willingness to embrace modern gambling opportunities, potentially paving the way for broader reforms in the future. For now, residents can look forward to a regulated sports betting market that promises to enhance the state’s economy and provide new entertainment options.
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