In Kansas, the first legal wager on sports was made at noon on September 1st – kicking off the market’s soft launch. By September 8th, the full market will be open with players located in Kansas able to wager at the full selection of mobile, online and retail sportsbooks available in the state.
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An Overview of Kansas’ Sports Betting Laws
Lawmakers in Kansas have spent about 3 years trying to get everything just right when it comes to legalizing sports betting. Here are all of the key points of Kansas’ sports betting legislation:
- The Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission (KRGC) is the official regulator
- The Kansas Lottery will handle the day-to-day operations
- Players must be 21-years-old to wager on sports and be physically located inside of the state
- Up to 12 online sports book can operate in the state, with all four commercial casinos being permitted to operate three betting skins
- The sports betting tax rate is 10%
Every land-based casino must partner with an online brand to launch their sports betting services. You can take a quick look at who is working with who below:
| Land-Based Casino and Operator | Retail Sportsbook | Online Sportsbook Skin #1 | Online Sportsbook Skin #2 | Online Sportsbook Skin #3 |
| Hollywood Casino/Penn National Gaming | Barstool Sportsbook | Barstool Sportsbook | — | — |
| Kansas Star Casino/Boyd Gaming | FanDuel | FanDuel | — | — |
| Boot Hiller Casino/Boot Hill Gaming | DraftKings | DraftKings | Bally Bet | — |
| Kansas Cross Casino/Peninsula Pacific Entertainment | — | BetMGM | Caesars | PointsBet |
The Long Road to Kansas’ Sports Betting Launch
Back in May 2018 when the US Supreme Court overturned PASPA, lawmakers in Kansas were keen to get sports betting up and running in the state. Hearings were held on three bills almost immediately but lawmakers could not agree on who would run the sports betting market and the proposed 50% tax rate was a big turn-off. As a result, efforts to legalize sports betting in the state were stalled throughout 2019.
In 2020, the state Senate passed a bill that significantly reduced taxes to 7.5% on in-person wagers and 10% on online wagers. The bill was universally supported by casinos but there was pushback from those in the racing industry.
When 2021 rolled around, the Kansas Senate passed a bill expanding the state lottery which would also allow the state’s four casinos to work with online brands to provide remote betting services. Again, the chances of legalized sports betting were squashed – this time, by the House.
It was only in 2022, three years after state lawmakers started the process of trying to launch legal sports betting, that some real progress was made. The Senate and House finally came to an agreement about how sports betting in Kansas would be run, with the law coming into effect on July 1st.
A soft launch was scheduled for September 1st, and the full launch will take place on September 8th – just in time for the start of the NFL season. From the time sports betting was made legal to the time it was launched was just 2 months – one of the fasted turnarounds in any state.
What is Included in Kansas’ Sports Betting Soft Launch?
Only some services will operate during the first week to live sports betting in Kansas. Just 6 of 12 licensed operators are able to offer their mobile and online services to players during this time, including FanDuel and Boyd Gaming. The only retail sportsbook that will be open during this time is Hollywood Casino which will be operated by Barstool Sportsbook.
When the full sports betting market is launched on September 8th, all operators will be allowed to provide sports betting to local bettors.
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Bethany has been working in online gambling for over 13 years. She got her start in the industry as her first job after graduating from the Professional Writing Program at York University. Having written for many online gaming publications and worked with top casino operators, she has unique insight into the gambling market. Bethany maintains a personal interest in iGaming as she continues to play poker online as a hobby.