At his suburban St. Louis home, Brett Koenig is frustrated. Despite having a sports betting app on his smartphone, he is unable to place a bet due to Missouri's ban on sports wagering. Koenig, along with many others in the state, believes it is time for Missouri to join the growing number of states that have legalized sports betting.

Missouri is one of twelve states where sports wagering remains illegal, despite the U.S. Supreme Court clearing the way for states to adopt it over five years ago. Koenig has launched a social media campaign called "Let MO Play" to rally support for legal sports betting in his home state. He finds it “silly” that Missouri is falling behind while other states have reaped the benefits of over $4 billion in taxes from more than $280 billion wagered on sports since 2018.

Vermont is set to become the latest state to accept sports bets starting on January 11. However, the odds for further expansion to additional states in 2024 seem uncertain due to political resistance and the competing financial interests of existing gambling operators. According to Becca Giden, policy director at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, the remaining states yet to legalize sports betting face multiple obstacles.

The states where sports betting remains illegal are Alabama, Alaska, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah. California and Texas, being the nation's two most populous states, are considered the biggest prizes for sports bettors. However, the likelihood of them adopting sports betting in 2024 is low.

In California, voters overwhelmingly defeated two rival sports betting initiatives last year, despite a record $463 million raised by supporters and opponents. Divisions among online gaming companies, tribal casinos, and horse tracks fueled the advertising barrage. Native American tribes have also objected to a new sports betting initiative seeking signatures for the 2024 ballot. In Texas, the proposed sale of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team to the politically active family that runs the Las Vegas Sands casino company has raised speculation of a potential push for legal sports betting. However, the state's Legislature is not in regular session in 2024, and there is no means of placing citizen initiatives on the ballot.

Neighboring Oklahoma, which already has numerous casinos run by tribes, has seen Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt announce a plan in November to allow in-person sports betting at tribal casinos and online sports wagering through licensed platforms. However, his plan does not appear to have support from tribes, with whom Stitt has been feuding. Minnesota is seen as the next likeliest state to authorize sports betting, but it would likely require a bipartisan vote in the Senate, where Democrats hold a slim advantage over Republicans. Lawmakers in Minnesota have struggled to resolve differences between tribal casinos and horse racing tracks regarding exclusive rights over online and in-person sports betting.

Missouri has also faced repeated setbacks in legalizing sports betting, with efforts stalling in the state Senate. Republican Sen. Denny Hoskins insists that sports betting must be paired with the regulation of slot-machine-style video games that have appeared in convenience stores and truck stops. This is opposed by casinos. The battle between various stakeholders has led to the hiring of approximately 80 lobbyists in Missouri by online sports wagering companies, casinos, professional sports teams, and video gaming terminal interests. The St. Louis Cardinals are leading a coalition of professional sports teams proposing an initiative petition to put sports betting on the November ballot. However, Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden doubts the prospects of both the initiative petition and legislation, expressing concern that Missouri may miss out on significant economic activity.

Data suggests that Missourians are eager to engage in sports betting. From mid-June to mid-December, GeoComply Solutions processed over 13.5 million location checks from 280,000 devices located in Missouri attempting to access mobile sports betting sites. A significant portion of these attempts, 48%, were made to use sportsbooks in neighboring Kansas, while 40% were aimed at Illinois. Many Missourians, like Brett Koenig, are willing to drive to neighboring states to place their bets. GeoComply processed 42,000 location checks from 1,900 online sports betting accounts that traveled from Missouri to an Illinois border town in the past six months. During the Kansas City Chiefs' game against the Buffalo Bills on December 10, GeoComply recorded 786 location checks from 570 sportsbook accounts traveling from Missouri border towns into Kansas.

In Georgia, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has expressed openness to legalizing sports betting. However, the effort stalled when the Senate rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have allowed voters to decide the issue. The debate is complex due to the desire of proponents of casinos and horse racing to leverage sports wagering to also legalize those forms of gambling. Georgia may be the most realistic candidate to authorize sports betting in 2024, but the outcome remains uncertain.

In Alabama, legalizing sports betting would require a constitutional amendment approved by voters. Lawmakers are considering new gambling legislation that would include casinos, a lottery, and sports betting. Greg Albritton, a state senator, is determined to have the issue debated this year.

Overall, the landscape for sports betting in the United States has changed dramatically in the past five years. However, the remaining states face various obstacles, including political resistance and conflicting financial interests, which may hinder their ability to legalize sports wagering in 2024.