As initially reported by Covers, the legislature in Kansas has today approved a bill that will ban extensions of sportsbook licenses, leaving the future of the state's regulated sports betting market uncertain.
Six mobile sportsbooks are presently licensed and functioning in the state – FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars, Fanatics, ESPN BET, and BetMGM. According to industry lobbyist Jeremy Kudon in a post on X, the bigger sportsbooks are still operational as of today.
Kansas operates four state-owned casinos, which are managed by the Kansas Lottery and governed by the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission. In 2022, legislators passed a law permitting each casino to manage up to three branded mobile platforms.
"Just want to clarify: None of the leading OSB operators in Kansas will go dark as a result of today’s vote. Most contracts with the lottery run well into 2027,” said Kudon in an X post.
“But I wouldn’t let the Kansas legislature off so easy. They had no idea when these contracts expired and were willing to take your favorite OSB apps away from Kansans. We’re not going to let that happen.”
Betting must cease when the licenses of sportsbooks lapse. That's when the circumstances become unclear. Every sportsbook might shut down within the next 18 months. Covers stated later this afternoon that the licenses for the six operations will expire on Aug. 31, 2027.
Given this level of uncertainty, residents of the state are questioning whether access to legal sports betting is truly at risk.
Online sports wagering platforms have been permitted and operational in Kansas since 2022.
Based on the latest figures from the American Gaming Association, the state produced USD$2.45 billion in online sports betting handle in 2024, with a gross gaming revenue of USD$213.7 million.
The tax rate for revenue generated from both land-based and online sports wagering in Kansas is set at 10%.
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