Kansas: six platforms greenlighted to debut sports betting on Thursday

The Kansas Lottery has approved six platforms for launch ahead of Thursday’s sports betting debut. The list was unveiled by the Lottery on its website, and comes after Governor Laura Kelly’s announcement earlier this month that sports gaming will begin with a soft launch on September 1, followed by a full opening on September 8.

Per Senate Bill 84, each of the four state-operated casinos in Kansas will be able to offer both in-person sportsbooks and mobile sports betting on up to three platforms or applications, potentially meaning a total of 12 operators. The six partnerships approved thus far are as follows:

• Hollywood Casino in Kansas City, Kansas will have both in-person sportsbook and mobile sports betting available through Barstool Sportsbook. 
• Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane will have both an in-person sportsbook and mobile sports betting available through FanDuel. 
• Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Dodge City will offer mobile sports betting through DraftKings, with an in-person sports wagering date to be announced “in the near future.” 
• Kansas Crossing Casino in Pittsburg will offer mobile sports betting through BetMGM, Caesars, and PointsBet, with an in-person sports wagering date also to be announced “in the near future.”

The Kansas Lottery’s announcement hints only two of the four casinos –Hollywood Casino and Kansas Star Casino– will have retail sports betting options in place by launch. Barstool Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway had earlier confirmed it would be opening this week under a temporary sportsbook with 30 kiosks and five teller windows.

In total, Kansans could have up to a dozen legal sportsbooks to choose from, including some of the country’s major brands. While six have been approved so far, a total of nine have access. Both Bally Bet and Golden Nugget have partnered with Boot Hill, but only DraftKings is set to go live with the casino on the launch date. DraftKings is also eyeing opening a temporary retail book in October.

Also seeking to enter the Kansas market is FOX Bet, which has partnered with Hollywood Casino to offer mobile sports betting. However, the brand hasn’t been greenlighted yet, meaning only Barstool will launch with Hollywood Casino for the time being.

The sports betting market launch is now back on track after Attorney General Derek Schmidt gave full approval to the Kansas Lottery’s proposed rules last week, paving the way for Kansas to join the growing list of 30+ states that have legalized gambling in some form. Kansas’ sports betting bill was approved by the state Legislature this spring, after years of debate, and was signed into law by Gov. Kelly in May.

Tribal casinos are currently working with state officials on expanded compacts to also join the market. The law imposes a 10% state tax on the bets, with a majority of the revenue earmarked for a fund to lure pro sports teams to Kansas. According to a new projection from BetKansas.com, the Kansas sports betting market could bring in $1.78 billion dollars (or about $150 million a month) of betting handle.