Kansas City Royals Sign With Upstart Sportsbook Operation

With less than two months until Missouri launches sports betting access for residents, there is a flurry of activity taking place at the Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC). The regulator has been put in charge of issuing licenses to online and retail providers as well as setting the state's regulatory environment.

It's noteworthy that Missuori's professional sports franchises will be allowed to run their own online and retail sports betting operations. Keeping that in mind, the Kansas City Royals (MLB) have inked a deal to partner with Underdog operating as its software provider and sports betting partner. The deal is currently under review by the MGC, with approval expected within the next few weeks.

Other Missouri sports teams that are expected to take advantage of this opportunity include:

• St; Louis Blues (NHL)


• St. Louis Cardinals (MLB)


• Kansas City Chiefs (NFL)


• St. Louis City SC (MLS)
  

About Underdog

Underdog has been providing Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) betting access since the middle of 2020. While operating as a new company in a fast-growing industry, they are currently licensed to operate online DFS in 33 states, with Missouri expected to make it 34. The company's sports betting software platform made its debut recently and is expected to start popping up across the nation. Its initial plunge into this $70.1 billion industry took place in North Carolina earlier this year when partnering with McConnell Golf..

Sports betting, online and retail, is slated to begin in the "Show Me" state on December 1, 2025. The Royals' ownership team intends to give its loyal sports fans easy access to legal sports betting in or around Kauffman Stadium, where the team plays its home games.

Underdog comes into the sports-betting industry with a strong focus on reimagining fan engagement, aiming to make sports betting both entertaining and perhaps financially rewarding. The company's proprietary software platform promises seamless sports betting access with odds updated in real time.

In a press release, Underdog’s senior vice president of government affairs and partnerships, Stacie Stern, stated:

“We build products with a focus on real, organic connections with sports fans to make sports more fun.”

On behalf of the Kansas City Royals, Brooks Sherman, president of business operations, told the press:

“We’ve partnered on some of our most engaging fan programs, like Bark at the Park and the Underdog Hot Dog Derby.” He then added, “This agreement gives Royals fans across Missouri another way to deepen their connection to the game.”

Royals fans can expect to see some fun and interesting cross promotins between baseball operations and the team's sports betting option. Online sports bettors will be able to access Underdog's platform after completing the company's short online registration process. They will subsequently be restricted to placing bets only with physical locations within the state's boundaries. While out-of-state residents will be free to use the online website, geo-tracking software will be used to ensure they are not trying to access it across state lines.

Image Credit: Kansas City Royals