How We Rate Sportsbooks

Every Missouri sportsbook we cover is rated against the same set of criteria. Ratings are expressed on a 1–5 scale and are reviewed at least quarterly — or sooner when material changes occur (a major app update, a license change, a withdrawal of a key feature).

What we score

1. App and product (25% weight)

The single most important factor for most bettors. We score app speed (cold start, bet slip response, live refresh), interface design, accessibility, and stability under load. We install each app on multiple devices (current iPhone and Android, plus an older device to catch performance regressions) and place real bets to evaluate the full flow.

2. Markets and odds (20% weight)

We compare prices across all licensed Missouri operators on a standardized basket of markets — NFL spreads and totals, NBA player props, MLB runlines, and select prop categories. We also evaluate market depth: how many props per game, futures coverage, and live betting catalog size.

3. Welcome bonus and promotions (15% weight)

We score the welcome offer on three sub-criteria: headline value (max potential payout), realistic value (typical payout for a casual user), and terms (qualifying odds, expiration, max bet caps). We also factor in ongoing promotional menu — odds boosts, parlay insurance, profit boosts, loyalty rewards.

4. Banking and withdrawals (15% weight)

Deposit minimums, accepted methods, withdrawal speed, and fees. We test withdrawals personally — placing real deposits, betting through them, and timing the withdrawal back to bank or PayPal. We re-test annually and after any banking-system update.

5. Customer support (10% weight)

Channels (live chat, email, phone), response times, and quality of resolutions. We submit test queries on a range of topics (account verification, withdrawal delays, bonus claim questions) at peak and off-peak hours and grade response speed and accuracy.

6. Trust and regulation (10% weight)

Operator history, regulatory record (in Missouri and other states), parent company stability, and transparency in published terms. Operators with sanctions or material consumer complaints in other US jurisdictions lose points here.

7. Missouri-specific features (5% weight)

Local promotions, retail integration with Missouri casinos, partnerships with Missouri sports teams, and state-specific functionality (e.g., enforcement of college prop restrictions).

Final score and rounding

Sub-scores are weighted, summed, and rounded to one decimal place. Rounding is conservative — we round down at .05. A book scoring 4.65 on the weighted total publishes as 4.6, not 4.7. This is to avoid the common industry pattern of inflating scores toward 5.0.

Disqualifications

Any operator can be disqualified from our rankings (regardless of score) if they:

• Operate without a valid Missouri Gaming Commission license
• Have an active material regulatory action in any US jurisdiction
• Have documented patterns of refusing legitimate withdrawals
• Engage in deceptive promotional advertising

We maintain a list of blacklisted unlicensed operators separately from our licensed-operator rankings.

What we don't score

We do not score operators on: how generous their affiliate commissions are, whether they advertise with us, or whether their PR teams are responsive. None of those factors affect how readers experience the product.

Updates and corrections

Ratings are reviewed quarterly. If you spot an error or a material change we haven't captured yet, email [email protected] and we'll review.