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Underdog has revealed its long-awaited market access partner in Missouri, announcing a collaboration with the Kansas City Royals as the state prepares to launch legal sports betting on 1 December.
Good to Know
The partnership follows Underdog’s completion of the application process, which had left its Missouri market access details undisclosed until now. Once approved, the company will become one of the operators ready to serve Missouri’s new sports betting landscape.
Stacie Stern, senior vice president of government affairs and partnerships at Underdog, said the collaboration with the Royals represents a natural fit between two organizations that share a commitment to fan engagement:
“The Royals have forged a deep and authentic connection with baseball fans throughout the Kansas City region, in Missouri and beyond. We’ve built our products with the same approach — real, organic connection with sports fans to get to one goal: make sports more fun.
“We are going to work with the Royals to bring the best sports betting experience possible to fans in Missouri, while we continue to drive innovation in sports gaming and expand our product offerings in new states.”
The Missouri Gaming Commission is expected to issue temporary approvals later in October, clearing the way for operators to begin pre-launch signups and deposits on 17 November.
The Royals, who have already worked with Underdog on several fan-focused initiatives, welcomed the expanded partnership. Brooks Sherman, president of business operations for the Royals, commented:
“The Royals look forward to continuing and enhancing our partnership with Underdog, which is our longest-standing relationship in sports gaming. We’ve partnered with them on some of our most engaging fan programs, like Bark at the Park and the Underdog Hot Dog Derby, and we look forward to working with Underdog to provide Royals fans throughout Missouri the opportunity to have even more fun while watching sports.”
Underdog, founded in 2020, first gained traction through daily fantasy sports (DFS). Missouri residents already have access to Underdog’s DFS contests, which have become popular for their simple, player-focused gameplay. Since then, the company has expanded into online sports betting, operating in several U.S. states including North Carolina, Ohio, and Colorado.
About a month ago, Underdog also announced a new partnership with Crypto.com to explore sports event contracts — a move that extends its presence into blockchain-integrated gaming experiences.