A Kansas sports betting bill is swiftly moving through the state legislature and is on track to pass in 2021. A similar bill made headway in 2020, but ultimately, did not cross the finish line in time to establish legal sports betting in the state of Kansas.
SB 84 designates the Kansas Lottery as the regulatory body in charge of Kansas sports betting. The Lottery will assign “sports betting managers,” who will then accept applications from sportsbooks vendors and grant licenses to those who make the cut.
There is a passage that opens the door for major sports arenas and stadiums to include either sportsbooks or betting kiosks. The large athletic venues within Kansas hosts college teams, so what stadiums does this bill have in mind?
Section C refers specifically to an auto race track facility that is located in Wyandotte County that will host an in-person sportsbook. While not confirmed in the bill language, it can be assumed that the facility refers to the Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas.
SB 84 also mentions a $50 million dollar upgrade on behalf of the “auto race track,” and if that refers to the investment that is intended toward a new trackside sports betting palace, then one can only imagine the luxurious experience that patrons have in store for them once it opens.
Anyone located within the state lines of Kansas is eligible to place a bet as long as they are at least 21 years old, and state politicians are focused on keeping sports betting as far away from minors as possible.
Included in the language are preventative measures to ensure that sports betting-related advertising does not target minors, and includes provisions that require the inclusion of the sports betting manager data, as well as contact information for problem gaming services.
Under the new law, the Kansas Lottery can call off all bets on a contest statewide. If something seems off about a line, regulators can instruct all operators to remove the line instantly.
Like similar gaming bills in other states, anyone immediately involved in the process of regulating sports betting or providing sportsbook services to patrons within the state of Kansas shall not participate themselves. This measure also extends to their immediate friends and family, as well as the athletes, coaches, and trainers involved in the sport being bet upon.
Any bettor that surpasses $10,000 in wagers within a 24 hour period will be reported to the Kansas Lottery by the Sports Betting Manager intermediary. Wagers in excess of $10K are not restricted, however.
There are several quatrains that outline the collection of the state’s share of the house take, and also provides governance for collection periods where the books take a loss. In those cases, the sportsbooks will not have to fork over any revenue, but will not be able to apply those negative totals to a prior period for the purposes of a refund.
The state’s Tribal interests have carved out a section of SB 84 that opens the door for future negotiations. If Kansas lawmakers can come to an agreement with their in-state Native American casinos, the door is wide open for them to construct brick-and-mortar sportsbooks within their pre-existing gambling facilities.
While there are no plans laid out for sportsbooks in Wichita, area bettors will be able to gamble on sports via mobile applications.
Fantasy sports are on the docket for approval, and these laws typically allow for Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) and fantasy football leagues, however, the language in SB 84 does seem to be indicating that betting on eSports and sims would also be in line for approval.
The KS Legislature will conclude on May 15, so there is still plenty of time to iron out the details before sine die. With any luck, wagers can be placed on mobile betting apps within months while they wait for their new racetrack and Tribal sportsbooks to be built.
Source: Kansas Legislature
