While there have been many occasions when there’s been talk of the construction of race tracks and the resumption of live horse racing in Missouri, all that’s done over the years is to serve to remind the residents of the Show Me State that talk is cheap.
There’s still no live horse racing in Missouri. Horse players seeking to wager on the sport in the state are entirely out of luck. Missouri does have 13 riverboat casinos and two tribal casinos and pari-mutuel wagering is legal on site at any of these casinos. However, all forms of online sports betting are illegal in the state.
That forbids any of the online horse race betting services from operating in the state. Since there’s no live racing, there’s also no simulcasting, and that means there’s no legal method to bet on horse racing anywhere in Missouri.
Horse Racing History
The history of horse racing in St. Louis can be traced back into the 1700s. The first evidence of a race track in the city was in 1769. Over the years, some 20 different tracks operated in the St. Louis area.
There was thoroughbred racing held at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. The MLB St. Louis Browns even housed a racetrack as part of their facility. But organized betting was outlawed in Missouri in 1950. The last horse track in the city, Del Mar Race Track, closed its doors in 1911.
Today, the closest Missourians can get to wager on the horses is to cross state lines into Illinois to play the ponies at FanDuel Sportsbook and Horse Racing in Collinsville.
Missouri Online Horse Betting FAQs
There are currently no legal horse betting options in the Show-Me State.
Missouri does not allow betting on horse racing, so it doesn’t matter how old you are.
Missouri does not have any horse racing tracks. Off-track betting locations (OTBs) are also not allowed.