Kansas sports betting surges to $252.9 million handle in March

Sports betting activity in Kansas soared in March with players wagering a total of $252.9 million on various sporting events, falling just short of breaking the Sunflower State's current monthly record.

Handle shot up 28.4% compared to March last year and 24.6% from February this year. Moreover, it came within striking distance of the state's all-time high of $260.9 million recorded in November 2022.

Of the total amount wagered, online bets accounted for $243.2 million, while $9.7 million was placed at retail sportsbooks across the state.

Despite the surge in betting activity, revenue reached a comparatively more modest $7.1 million in March. This figure represented a 22.0% decline from the same period last year but marked an increase of 129.0% from February's revenue haul of $3.1 million.

Online betting continued to dominate revenue generation, with retail sportsbooks failing to contribute any revenue. Notably, the state collected $714,697 in sports betting tax during the month.

In the online market, DraftKings and partner Boot Hill maintained their lead, generating $4.7 million in revenue from $98.3 million in bets. FanDuel and Kansas Star followed with $2.2 million in online revenue from $70.2 million in total bets.

Caesars and Kansas Crossing emerged as the only other partnership to generate revenue in March, totaling $257,071 from an $11.9 million handle.

Despite higher handles than Caesars', two other online partnerships, Kansas Crossing with BetMGM and Hollywood with ESPN Bet, did not generate revenue. Meanwhile, Fanatics, the newest online operator in Kansas, saw players betting $1.3 million through its partnership with Kansas Crossing.

Year-to-date figures show a total spend of $1.86 billion by the end of March, with online wagers amounting to $1.78 billion and retail bets totaling $83.3 million.

Revenue for the year reached $87.6 million, with $83.1 million derived from the online market and $4.5 million from retail operations.