Kansas Senate passes sports betting bill

The bill SB 84 has passed by a 26-12 vote in the state Senate. It would amend the Kansas Expanded Lottery Act (KELA) to allow sports wagering operations by lottery gaming facilities.

Senators went back and forth for hours about the details of the bill. They talked about where revenue should go, whether horse racing or greyhound racing should be a part of the bill, and how much money should be set aside for gambling addiction.

The state would allow both betting in casinos and online, with the state getting 5.5 percent and 8 percent of revenues respectively. Two percent of all revenues would go to the gambling and addictions grant fund.

The bill

Each of the state’s four casinos will be allowed to open a retail sportsbook and partner with up to three mobile sportsbook operators. Sporting facilities can also partner with the casinos for an online sports betting area. Those include: Kansas Speedway and Sporting Kansas City’s Children’s Mercy Park. Any greyhound races or and K-12 interscholastic sports are explicitly excluded.

The state would employ a 5.5% tax rate on in-person bets and an 8% tax rate on online wagers. A provision also dictates 2% of lottery gaming facility revenues head to a problem gambling and addictions grant fund.