Kansas Sports Betting

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Kansas successfully regulated its sports betting industry in 2022, and six available sportsbooks in the state at the time of writing this.

Although Kansas failed to narrowly pass a sports betting legislation in early 2021, the state redoubled quickly and managed to get things underway by September the next year. It did happen, with sportsbooks authorized to launch in time for the NFL season that year.

September 1, 2022, marked the “soft launch” of regulated sports betting in Kansas, followed by the “full launch” which happened on September 8, 2022. The path to legalization was not easy, but after a near-miss in the House in 2021, lawmakers mustered enough support to press on with the matter and regulate the industry.

The sports betting law was signed by Gov. Laura Kelly and rules were soon established by July 1, 2022. The rest, as they say, is history.

Latest Gambling News in Kansas

History of Kansas Sports Betting Legalization

  • September 8, 2022: The full launch of the gambling market in the state got underway.
  • September 1, 2022: Several licensed local operators became the first to soft-launch their sportsbooks.
  • August 18, 2022: It was confirmed that September 1 is the earliest sportsbooks in the state could launch.
  • July 1, 2022: The state’s sports betting law comes into effect and companies begin the application process, along with preparation for early launch.
  • June 20, 2022: Gov. Laura Kelly confirmed that mobile and retail sports wagering would most likely be launching in time for the NFL season.
  • May 12, 2022: Lawmakers wasted no time in passing a gambling bill to allow the legalization of sports gambling in the state. The bill was passed and Gov. Laura Kelly signed it into law.
  • 2021: The Senate attempted to expand the current legislation allowing the state lottery to offer a sports betting product, but it failed to convince the House to back it up.
  • 2020: SB 283 gained momentum in the wake of several states legalizing sports gambling in the United States, but eventually petered out and never mustered sufficient approval.

The biggest disappointment in the state’s legalization journey came in 2021. There were huge hopes for Kansas sports betting as SB 84 made it out of the Senate in early March 2021 to move to the House, where it was amended before being shut down by legislators who voted against it with an overwhelming 77-40 majority.

There was hardly a good reason for sports betting in Kansas not to be legal at the time. If anything, the state didn’t have to contend with tribal compacts, like Florida or Washington, for example. Nevertheless, the sports betting bill that could have legalized the industry in early 2021 timed out and was finally struck in a vote.

Did this mean sports wagering was not coming to Kansas? We thought the opposite at the time and were vindicated just a year after.

Kansas made significant efforts to produce sports betting legislation, and these efforts did not slow down in the next legislative session. Lawmakers eventually saw legislation through and made sure that sports betting arrived in Kansas in time for NFL’s 2022 season, getting underway on September 8 that same year!

What Does Kansas Sports Betting Look Like?

Eventually, it was HB 2477 that legalized sports gambling in the state and defined today’s landscape. Here is what the sports betting industry looks like in the state as of today.

Kansas Sports BettingParameters
Can I bet on sports in Kansas?Yes (online, mobile, retail)
How many sportsbooks are in Kansas?6
What is the legal gambling age in Kansas?21+
Are there online casinos? Social & sweepstakes
Who regulates gambling in Kansas?Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission
Problem Gambling Helpline 1-800-522-4700

As you can see, there are only six sportsbooks in Kansas as of right now, including Caesars, DraftKings, Fanatics, FanDuel Sportsbook, and BetMGM. The newest entrant in the state is ESPN Bet, which is the former Barstool Sportsbook, and which is collaborating with the prominent sports media.

Past Legalization Efforts in Kansas

Legalizing sports betting in Kansas would have come with some interesting prerequisites were any of the following pieces of legislation passed. Kansas isn’t the most populous state with just shy of 3 million residents, but SB 84, which struck out in early 2021, put forward some interesting conditions.

For once, Kansas was preparing to introduce the lowest tax rate anywhere in the legal sports betting industry in the United States. Should the bill have succeeded, Kansas would have only charged 5.5% on gross gaming revenue for retail sports betting and 8% for online sports betting and digital venues.

However, SB 84 also had a language that mandated that an additional 2% would be collected and directed to responsible gambling initiatives in the state. The bill suggested that every sports betting facility would allow up to three skins, similar to how Pennsylvania operates.

SB 84 never actually made a vote in its original form, though, with the bill’s language effectively replaced by that of rival HB 2199. The amendment was introduced quickly and with what seemed to be a majority approval but was then struck down in the vote.

HB 2199 didn’t think that making sports betting legal in the state should come at some small cost for operators and effectively bolstered the tax rate to 14% for retail and 20% for digital, which was in line with what most other sports betting states do. Regardless, these bills are just broad strokes on how lawmakers intend to legalize sports betting in Kansas, but they still pain a split in attitudes.

House Bill 2477 did allow for the legalization of sports gambling in its entirety. Immediately, the state was able to launch on all fronts – mobile, retail, and online, allowing punters to pick the best medium for their gameplay.

Thanks to this legislative move, the state accommodates all residents who are within the borders of Sunflower State and can place a bet on their Android and iOS mobile devices, smartphones, and tables for the most part.

It did help that Gov. Laura Kelly is herself a proponent of online lotteries, known as iLottery, and she had no issue signing a bill that would make it possible to gamble remotely.

This may seem like a trivial detail to even mention, but the truth is at least several bills had failed historically at the governor’s desk because of a very strong objection to mobile gambling in general.

Each of the regulated sportsbooks in the state, six at the time of writing, offers an Android and iOS app.

There are quite a few legitimate sports gambling contests to explore in Kansas, starting with the obvious one – sports gambling. However, you can also try betting on the ponies if you prefer, enjoying an array of options.

Websites such as BetAmerica, TVG, and TwinSpires will gladly accept your bets as long as you are only wagering on horse races, while Caesars, DraftKings, Fanatics, FanDuel Sportsbook, BetMGM and ESPN Bet will cover you with traditional sports betting options.

In the meantime, you can also check some available daily fantasy sports (DFS) represented by excellent platforms such as Betr. You can place a bet on any fantasy contest at both sportsbooks who are likely to transition to fully-fledged sports operators once the state greenlights the legislation.

DFS was legalized in 2015 with a decision of former Gov. Sam Brownback, who made sure to clear up the grey status of the contests. In the meantime, the state lottery is also permitted, giving the state a lot of familiarity with many different gambling verticals.

There are an estimated 1,200 lottery retailers in Kansas today, and in 2020, Gov. Kelly refused to sign a Senate Bill that would have allowed sports betting at the locations of these retailers.

What Sports Teams Does Kansas Back?

As you can guess, residents of the Sunflower State have many teams they support, even if they are not necessarily local franchises. Kansas would be happy to place wagers across an array of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, and college sports.

The state is represented in the NCAA through the Kansas Jayhawks, who are bound to generate a fair bit of interest around them and who have had strong seasons in the basketball championship known as March Madness. There are other prominent college franchises, though, and they include the Kansas State Wildcats and Wichita State Shockers.

While Kansas has no NFL franchise to call its own, it has shown support for the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos as well as NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder. Other than that, support for sports teams in the state varies with residents finding a franchise to call their own and rally around.

This gives the Sun Flower State’s bettors a little more objectivity which is ultimately better for sportsbooks in the state who can have to deal with a lot of sharp bettors to flock to their platforms.

FAQ

Is sports betting legal in Kansas? 

Yes. Sports betting has been legal in Kansas since mid-2022, with the industry launching on September 1.

Does Kansas allow mobile sports betting?

Yes. Kansas allows mobile sports betting in the state and players can benefit from mobile apps that are available to them.

What regulated sportsbooks are there in Kansas?

There are six regulated sportsbooks in Kansas right now. They include Caesars, DraftKings, Fanatics, FanDuel Sportsbook, BetMGM and ESPN Bet.

Who regulates Kansas sports betting? 

Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission and the Kansas Lottery both playing a part in overseeing regulated sports gambling, with the commission selected as the official regulator in the Sunflower State in 2022.