St. Joseph reacts to official launch of sports betting in Missouri
Patrick Holleron
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Whether it’s wagering on the game-winning touchdown, three-point shot or home run, the world of sports betting is now live in St. Joseph and the Show-Me state with the touch of a button.
Following passage of a statewide ballot measure last November, sports betting markets were officially launched in Missouri on Monday, meaning bettors can start creating accounts and placing bets within the state.
That means no more driving across the border to Kansas to place bets through a casino or mobile betting app, such as Bet365, FanDuel, Circa Sports or any of the other popular companies.
“If you look at how our society has gone the last few years it’s become more and more prevalent,” Missouri Western Athletic Director Andy Carter said. “They have the apps and even people in Missouri would go over to Kansas to place their bets. I think it’s something they’re going to have to manage.”
According to ESPN, Missouri became the 39th state to legalize sports betting and the first since North Carolina in March 2024. One of the top concerns with sports gambling, especially in the current era where its more accessible than ever before, is gambling addiction.
Universities like Missouri Western and nonprofit organizations like Family Guidance Center now offer specific gambling-related counseling services to assist anyone.
MoWest is specifically part of the Partners in Prevention Coalition, made up of 27 colleges and universities across the state, to provide guidance and assistance.
Katie Miron, director of counseling at Missouri Western, explained the recent launch of sports gambling platforms will be discussed at this month’s PIP meeting because of the potential risks.
“One of our big goals is making sure we’re getting students the information they need and connecting them with those resources,” Miron said. “I can’t speak to whether or not there will be a spike (in betting) particularly here. As far as people in general go, it’s really easy to hit some buttons and place some bets. We want to make sure people betting safely and making sure they have the necessary information to make informed choices.”
While the ability to place online sports bets could attract an entirely new audience of betters, some students at Missouri Western think the amount of people won’t change dramatically.
“I don’t think it matters that much. People are going to gamble whether they want to or not,” Missouri Western Junior Tyler Hollingsworth said. “There’s a very big uprising with gambling advertisements and on the things we watch like Instagram reels and TikTok. I see a lot it being prominently promoted now. I don’t think it changes that much, the industry of sports gambling industry as a whole is going to pop off.”
In addition to students, collegiate athletes are another group susceptible to sports gambling risks. Current NCAA rules prohibit any student athlete and staffer from betting on professional and collegiate sports.
Carter said legalization creates “one more distraction” for everybody.
“It’s obviously a normalized activity in society now, but I think there are some dangers we have to be wary of. Most of our young people don’t have the money to lose, they’re trying to pay for school. We’re a partial scholarship at Division II, there’s very few full scholarship student athletes here. Money’s tight, and they must be able to manage what they have.”
More information on gambling-related counseling services can be found by calling the Family Guidance Center at 816-676-7237. The national gambling hotline is 1-800-522-4700
Students at Missouri Western can reach out to the counseling center at 816-271-4327 or by emailing counseling@missouriwestern.edu.