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Missouri casinos generated $163.4 million in August, marking the second straight month revenue was up. August’s revenue total rose 5.6% compared to July.
Online casinos are not legal in Missouri.
Key takeaways
- Missouri casino revenue increased 5.6% month-on-month in August.
- Coming off a slow summer, Missouri gaming revenue has grown in back-to-back months.
- Online casinos could’ve brought Missouri more than $100 million this past month.
Legal online casinos are a long way off for Missouri
Casino revenue can happen in two main ways in a state: land-based or online operations.
Of the dozens of states in the US with casino gaming, only seven have legal online casinos. A mix of land-based casinos protecting their revenue, labor unions securing their jobs, and anti-gambling groups sounding the alarm on increased problem-gambling rates are some reasons for a lack of online casinos.
Online casinos are an even harder sell in Missouri, where gaming expansion has been a hard sell. The state has yet to legalize sports betting even though it’s home to multiple professional sports teams.
With that in mind, we’re likely at least two to three years away from a legitimate discussion of iGaming in Missouri. Until then, casino operators will miss out on hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.
For example, PlayUSA estimates that Missouri online casinos could’ve generated more than $100 million in revenue based on the most recent data from all seven states with iGaming.
| State | July online casino revenue | Population (according to 2023 Census Bureau data) | Per-capita revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $215.4 million | 13 million | $16.65 |
| Michigan | $195.4 million | 9.3 million | $20.65 |
| New Jersey | $191.4 million | 10 million | $19.86 |
| Connecticut | $41.7 million | 3.6 million | $12.86 |
| West Virginia | $20 million | 1.8 million | $9.94 |
| Delaware | $6 million | 1 million | $3.90 |
| Rhode Island | $2.6 million | 1.1 million | $2.09 |
| Average | $96.1 million | 5.7 million | $16.86 |
| Missouri (projected) | $104.5 million | 6.2 million | $16.86 |
Missouri’s Hollywood Casino St. Louis posts double-digit growth
August was an excellent month across the board for Missouri casinos. Eleven of the state’s 13 properties had positive revenue growth in August.
| August 2024 | July 2024 | % change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ameristar St. Charles | $25,503,125 | $24,087,952 | 5.88% |
| Hollywood Casino St. Louis | $22,930,250 | $20,559,621 | 11.53% |
| River City Casino | $21,648,839 | $20,675,628 | 4.71% |
| Ameristar Kansas City | $17,738,788 | $16,833,897 | 5.38% |
| Argosy | $14,127,128 | $13,370,134 | 5.66% |
| Harrah's Kansas City | $13,808,967 | $12,724,515 | 8.52% |
| Bally's Kansas City | $11,860,379 | $11,754,334 | 0.90% |
| Horseshoe St. Louis | $11,618,381 | $11,941,117 | -2.70% |
| Isle of Capri Booneville | $7,224,867 | $6,681,619 | 8.13% |
| Century Casino Cape Girardeau | $6,105,617 | $5,846,004 | 4.44% |
| St. Joseph Frontier Casino | $4,282,672 | $4,020,687 | 6.52% |
| Century Casino Caruthersville | $3,925,252 | $3,867,138 | 1.50% |
| Mark Twain Casino | $2,718,514 | $2,829,692 | -3.93% |
| Total | $163,358,811 | $155,192,338 | 5.26% |
Hollywood Casino St. Louis spearheaded the month’s revenue gains with a +11.5% result. It was the only casino with double-digit growth from July 2024 gaming revenue in Missouri.
Here’s a snapshot of the five best performances last month, according to the August 2024 report from the Missouri Gaming Commission:
- Horseshoe St. Louis: +11.5%
- Harrah’s Kansas City: 8.5%
- Isle of Capri Booneville: +8.1%
- St Joseph Frontier Casino: 6.5%
- Ameristar St. Charles: 5.9%
Year on year, casino revenue rose 4% from $156.4 million to $163.4 million.
