JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI – As Missouri opens the door to legal sports betting on Monday, residents will be able to place a wide range of wagers, including bets on how individual athletes perform in a game. These so-called proposition bets, or “prop bets,” allow people to wager on outcomes such as how many points a basketball player scores, how many strikeouts a pitcher records, or how many passing yards a quarterback throws. However, Missouri’s new law draws a firm line when it comes to in-state college teams. Bettors will not be allowed to place prop bets on athletes who play for Missouri colleges or universities, a restriction designed to protect the integrity of local collegiate sports. While narrower than bans in some other states, the rule reflects mounting concern nationwide as sports wagering expands rapidly following the 2018 Supreme Court decision that cleared the way for legal betting across the country. That expansion has been accompanied by a string of recent scandals tied directly to prop betting, including allegations that professional athletes accepted bribes to alter their performance, criminal charges involving the misuse of insider information, and the loss of eligibility for college players accused of shaping outcomes to benefit bettors. Because prop bets often hinge on the actions of a single athlete, they can expose players to increased pressure, harassment, and even coercion from gamblers whose winnings depend on one specific moment or statistic.
The business of sports betting continues to grow at a staggering pace, with operators taking in more than $11 billion in wagers through the first nine months of this year alone, representing double-digit growth over the same period last year. Industry experts say prop bets are becoming one of the most popular ways for fans to engage with games, especially when combined with parlays, where multiple wagers are bundled into one high-risk, high-reward bet. These fast-paced betting options can heighten the risk of gambling addiction, prompting Missouri to dedicate at least $5 million each year to problem-gambling services under its new program. Despite that funding, critics argue that Missouri’s limited ban on college prop bets will do little to stop risky behavior in a digital age where bettors can easily wager on out-of-state athletes with the tap of a smartphone. Regulation inside the state will fall to a small team at the Missouri Gaming Commission, while betting companies, sports leagues, and law enforcement will shoulder much of the responsibility for detecting suspicious activity. Even with recent scandals and tighter rules in some areas, excitement among bettors remains high. Many Missourians who previously drove into neighboring states to place legal bets say they are eager to wager from home for the first time, seeing the launch not only as a new form of entertainment but as the end of a long and inconvenient workaround that defined sports betting in the state for years.