St. Louis has had a ton of success as a sports city in over the past two decades. The St. Louis Blues just won the Stanley Cup in 2019, while the Cardinals won the World Series in both 2011 and 2006. St. Louis also added an MLS team in 2023 (St. Louis City SC), which returned the city to having 3 major sports teams. It’s a good time to be a sports fan in St. Louis.

Sports betting has gained tremendous popularity in St. Louis and the United States as a whole over the past decade. Access to respected offshore betting sites such as Bovada or BetOnline is available to St. Louis residents and sports betting as a whole has gone much more main stream in the past few years. On this page I will look at the legalities of betting on sports in St. Louis, recommend two offshore betting sites and look at the horse race betting options in the city.

Is Sports Betting Legal in St. Louis?

The easiest way to answer this question is in two parts.

#1. Operating a Sportsbook is Illegal

It is not legal to operate a sportsbook within Missouri.

#2. Placing Bets Through Offshore Betting Sites is Allowed

It is NOT illegal for St. Louis residents to join and place wagers through offshore betting sites. These sites, like the two I’ve outlined below, are licensed and regulated outside of the USA and have been serving the American market for many years.

Best Sportsbooks for St. Louis Residents

The following two betting sites are the most popular and reputable betting sites used by St. Louis residents.

Both sites are offshore betting sites that are licensed, regulated and located outside of the United States. Both sites have served the United States betting market for over a decade and have built their betting platform to best serve American clients.

Check out our reviews below for more information:

Sportsbook
Features
Bonus
Rating
Bet Now
1
  • Built for American bettors
  • Wide variety of competitive betting lines
  • Easy to navigate betting platform
50% up to $250
2
  • Accepts players worldwide
  • Competitive betting lines
  • Fast & easy deposits and withdrawals (including Bitcoin)
50% up to $1000

Offline Sports Betting in St. Louis

Unfortunately, offline sports betting is not currently allowed in the state of Missouri. Two new house bills relating to sports betting were introduced at the start of the 2023 legislative session, and there is optimism a bill will reach the finish line during this session.

That said, across the Mississippi River, Illinois has legalized sports betting and there is a sportsbook available at Casino Queen in East St. Louis.

Fairmount Park

Horse racing bettors can also find a great track in East St. Louis.

Fairmount Park Racetrack is a horse racing track located about 20 minutes east of downtown St. Louis, across the border in Illinois. The track offers live Thoroughbred racing on Tuesdays and Saturdays throughout the racing season. Simulcast horse race betting is also available at the track daily, with the gates opening at 11am.

If you are not able to head to the track you can also bet on the Fairmount Park races at either Bovada or BetOnline.

**Sports betting is also offered at the track.

Major Sports Teams in St. Louis

  • St. Louis Cardinals (Baseball – MLB)
  • St. Louis Blues (Hockey – NHL)
  • St. Louis City FC (Soccer – MLS)