ESPN Bet Files for Missouri License Ahead of Deadline

Penn Entertainment isn’t done expanding its struggling sportsbook quite yet.

ESPN Bet officially submitted its application for one of Missouri’s sports betting licenses. While the operator waited until just before the September 12 deadline, it already has market access through Penn’s casino presence in the state. 

If the Missouri Gaming Commission approves the application, it will allow ESPN Bet to launch when the market goes live on December 1.

The state has awarded untethered online sportsbooks licenses to Circa Sports and DraftKings. While they are the only two operators to be approved, five sportsbooks have submitted applications. That includes Underdog, FanDuel, BetRivers, Caesars, and now ESPN Bet. 

Bet365 has gained market entry with a partnership with the MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals, but has not confirmed if an application was submitted.

With the deadline still a day away, one or two operators may decide to apply. There are up to 14 online sportsbook licenses available, meaning plenty will be available.

Campaign to Save ESPN Bet Continues

While Penn investors are growing weary of ESPN Bet losing money, the company’s leadership still believes it is close to turning a profit. As a result, they have made some significant changes heading into this football season.

One of those changes came last week, when ESPN Bet announced a new injury refund policy, aligning itself with the industry leaders. The timing was also perfect, as the policy went into effect just in time for Week 1 of the NFL season. With the league’s physicality often leading to key player injuries, the offer of injury insurance could be enough to win over bettors from other sportsbooks.

Another change came earlier this year when ESPN merged fantasy, sportsbook, online, and other accounts. This is a helpful tool for bettors who use ESPN to research wagers. It will also help further target ESPN’s massive fantasy sports userbase. Penn hopes that integrating ESPN Bet into other ESPN products will help the sportsbooks turn a profit in 2026.