Missouri's February Sports Betting Handle Drops 27% From January

Missouri saw its largest month-over-month reduction in sports wagering to date in February.


- Missouri's sports betting handle went from $380.4 million in January to $277 million in February.


- The state took over $1 million in regular monthly taxes for the very first time.


- Basketball and parlays controlled the betting landscape in February.


Show-Me State bettors positioned 16.8% less bets throughout the month including the Super Bowl than in January, and the Missouri Gaming Commission reported a $277-million online and retail combined manage, down 27.2% month over month from $380.4 million. Online sportsbooks represented $273 million of the total quantity wagered.


The manage was likewise half of what Missourians spent in December 2025, the very first month of sports wagering in the state. The most affordable amount bet yet resulted in $31.3 million in gross profits for the eight mobile and 8 in-person operators, down 42% from January. February's 11.3% hold was the very first under 14% also.


Still, the state's operators exceeded $1 billion in bets positioned throughout the first three months of sports wagering and over $180 million in Missouri income.


Tax ramifications


Missouri experienced its biggest tax haul to date, generating $1.2 million in February. December and January produced less than $600,000 because operators' total taxable earnings finished at a loss both months.


The figure jumped to $10.3 million in February as DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics, 3 significant online sportsbooks, paid taxes for the very first time as free-play promotional spending dropped significantly from January to February.


All operators invested a combined $11.4 million on complimentary plays, below December's $125 million and January's $33 million. FanDuel led all sportsbooks with $4.6 million in marketing wagers given, below $14.6 million in January, while DraftKings invested $3.6 million in totally free plays, $6 million less than the previous month. Fanatics contributed over $815,000, cutting January's costs by more than half, and bet365 was the only other operator to go beyond $1 million in February totally free plays.


DraftKings on the top


DraftKings generated a state-best $104.9 million in deal with during February, with gross income of $12.6 million previous to deductions, likewise leading Missouri online sports betting operators. However, FanDuel's 12.9% hang on a $92.5-million deal with was almost a point greater than DraftKings' February win rate.


bet365 was the only other operator to create a handle of $20 million, winning 10.8%. BetMGM produced a hold of just 6.8% on its $19.2-million handle, while Fanatics stayed listed below 8.5% on almost $18 million in wagers.


Caesars nearly produced a $12-million manage, but a 6% hold minimal February revenues. PENN Entertainment's theScore Bet enjoyed a 10.8% hold on a manage of over $5 million, while Circa Sports made back less than $70,000 on a $1.4-million handle.


Football wagering drops off


The only football game of February, Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and New Patriots, generated $11.7 million in wagers. January produced $72 million in football handle, minus parlays, throughout the NFL playoffs and College Football Playoff.


Basketball was the most-bet sport in Missouri for the 2nd consecutive month, producing a handle of nearly $110 million in February. Missourians invested more than $91 million on parlays.