Missouri sports wagerers have actually crossed into Kansas for nearly three years to place legal sports bets. Three years from now, Kansas citizens may do the very same.
Key takeaways
- Kansas lawmakers halted new sportsbook license extensions until 2026, hinting at possible regulative modifications that might affect its 6 legal operators after 2027.
- Missouri is set to launch legal mobile sportsbooks in late 2025, possibly reversing cross-border betting trends as Kansas bettors may head east.
- Future changes in Kansas might consist of a sole-operator model or tax hikes, affecting competition and encouraging bettors to seek options in Missouri.
Kansas sports betting background
Kansas launched its first legal mobile sportsbooks in 2022. Six books now take bets: sports betting BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, ESPN BET, sports betting Fanatics and FanDuel.
The ability to position legal bets in Kansas brings in bettors on the Missouri side of the Kansas City city area to Kansas to wager, with some doing so most or nearly every day of the week.
That might change if Kansas lawmakers overthrow the present regulatory structure. Sources inform Covers some lawmakers wish to increase the state's sports betting tax earnings, amongst the most affordable per capita of any of the 30 states with statewide legal mobile sportsbooks.
Kansas' most likely reconsideration of its six-book legal sports betting market next year will come after Missouri goes deal with as numerous as a dozen books; if Kansas significantly cuts its offerings, it might lead KS bettors to place bets in MO, the opposite of the current pattern
The modifications might be as basic as a tax boost. It might likewise lead to a sole-source operator design some legislators are thinking about, one that might produce more direct income for the state but possibly force out some or all of the six existing sportsbooks as soon as their licenses end in Aug. 2027.
The legislation passed previously this month just places a prohibition till 2026, suggesting Kansas' current sportsbooks can take bets till their licenses expire the following year. Lawmakers might not even consider a remarkable modification to the regulative structure when they reconvene for the 2026 session, implying no perceptible impact for Sunflower State wagerers.
But the license extension restriction leaves the possibility for remarkable modifications that didn't appear feasible weeks back.
Missouri sportsbooks prepare to introduce
The Kansas relocation comes as Missouri nears the launch of its legal sportsbooks.
Missouri's multi-year sports wagering legalization push ended in Nov. 2024, when citizens directly approved a ballot step to bring legal retail and online sportsbooks to the state. The vote followed years of failed efforts to legalize sports betting in the legislature.
Missouri's legal sportsbooks are set to start taking bets in the 4th quarter of 2025. There are also set to be nearly two times as lots of wagering choices in Missouri as Kansas.
FanDuel and DraftKings contributed more than $30 million to support the ballot measure. The 2 U.S. market share leaders have, as expected, revealed strategies to take bets in Missouri when accredited.
Other books consisting of BetMGM, BetRivers and Underdog also announced launch plans. Bet365 struck a handle MLB's St. Louis Cardinals and likewise plans to accept bets in the state.
Caesars, which opposed the tally measure over license allowance issues, operates three Missouri casinos and is qualified to introduce its online book in the state. Penn Entertainment (ESPN BET) and Bally's (Bally Bet) also operate Missouri gambling establishments that grant them immediate market access.
Other books including Acid rock, reside in Illinois, might likewise pursue among approximately two-dozen potential Missouri sports wagering licenses.
The wider variety of Show Me State betting alternatives could attract Kansas gamblers in the Kansas City metro location to Missouri to position bets, reversing years of bettor traffic going the opposite direction. This might speed up if the Sunflower State reduces its sportsbook lineup, especially if DraftKings and/or FanDuel can no longer accept bets.
Missouri voters in the Kansas City metro were the most ardent advocates of the sports betting tally procedure, which could underscore homeowners' interest in positioning bets in their home state once books go live.
Missouri's sports betting lineup is uncertain ahead of the 2025 launch. Kansas' sportsbooks could change too in the occurring years.
