Kansas is cheering at the prospect of launching its own sports betting industry. In fact, there’s no prospect – there is a certainty. On Friday, Kansas governor Laura Kelly confirmed that the state will begin a soft launch this Thursday, with mobile sports betting to follow on September 8, or next Thursday.
Retail and Mobile Sports Betting Coming to Kansas
The State Lottery has already confirmed the companies that have obtained sports betting licenses and have been cleared to launch. As per Senate Bill 84, each state-operated casino will have both in-person sportsbooks and up to three sports betting apps. There are currently four casinos in the Sunflower State.
Hollywood Casino in Kansas City has teamed up with Barstool Sports to offer both in-person sportsbook and mobile sports betting experiences. Meanwhile, Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane will work closely with FanDuel to provide both a retail and interactive wagering experience.
There is also Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Dodge City which has struck a partnership with DraftKings and is currently awaiting regulatory approval for the launch of Golden Nugget Online Gaming (GNOG), a DraftKings subsidiary.
Kansas Crossing Casino in Pittsburg though seems to have the most online sports betting entities teaming up with the company, with BetMGM, PointsBet, and Caesars all opting for this property. Kansas is the latest state in the US to have been cleared and is now launching in the re-regulated sports gambling market.
This is a fortunate development because, even though the state sports a small population, it’s still good for Kansas to make sure that it offers residents sufficient betting options at home.
The fact that Senate Bill 84 offers both remote and land-based betting options indicates that there has been a deeper change in lawmakers’ perception of the industry, one unimpeded by old-fashioned ideas such as “in-person registration.”
Still, there has been some pushback, particularly from the Attorney General’s office which spoke of “significant issues.” Despite all of this, though, Kansas is well-tipped to launch its sports gambling industry without further issues and on time for the first NFL games which will start on Friday, September 9 with the Los Angeles Rams taking on the Buffalo Bills.