Missouri Sports Betting Launch could Come Before Kansas Sportsbook Changes
Missouri sports bettors have crossed into Kansas for nearly three years to position legal sports betting bets. Three years from now, Kansas citizens might do the very same.
Key takeaways
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- Kansas legislators halted new sportsbook license extensions till 2026, sports betting meaning possible regulative changes that could impact its 6 legal operators after 2027.
- Missouri is set to launch legal mobile sportsbooks in late 2025, possibly reversing cross-border wagering patterns as Kansas gamblers may head east.
- Future modifications in Kansas might consist of a sole-operator model or tax hikes, impacting competitors and motivating gamblers to look for alternatives in Missouri.
Kansas sports betting background
Kansas launched its very first legal mobile sportsbooks in 2022. Six books now take bets: BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, ESPN BET, Fanatics and FanDuel.
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The capability to position legal bets in Kansas attracts bettors on the Missouri side of the Kansas City city location to Kansas to wager, with some doing so most or almost every day of the week.
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That might change if Kansas lawmakers the existing regulative structure. Sources inform Covers some lawmakers desire to increase the state's sports betting tax earnings, amongst the least expensive per capita of any of the 30 states with statewide legal mobile sportsbooks.
Kansas' likely reconsideration of its six-book legal sports betting market next year will come after Missouri goes live with as numerous as a dozen books; if Kansas drastically curtails its offerings, it could lead KS wagerers to place bets in MO, the reverse of the existing pattern
The changes could be as basic as a tax increase. It could likewise lead to a sole-source operator design some lawmakers are thinking about, one that might generate more direct revenue for sports betting the state however potentially displace some or all of the 6 existing sportsbooks once their licenses end in Aug. 2027.
The legislation passed earlier this month just positions a prohibition until 2026, meaning Kansas' existing sportsbooks can take bets up until their licenses expire the following year. Lawmakers may not even consider a significant modification to the regulatory structure when they reconvene for the 2026 session, meaning no perceptible effect for Sunflower State wagerers.
But the license extension prohibition leaves the possibility for dramatic modifications that didn't appear practical weeks back.
Missouri sportsbooks prepare to launch
The Kansas move comes as Missouri nears the launch of its legal sportsbooks.
Missouri's multi-year sports wagering legalization push ended in Nov. 2024, when voters directly approved a ballot step to bring legal retail and online sportsbooks to the state. The vote followed years of unsuccessful efforts to legislate sports betting in the legislature.
Missouri's legal sportsbooks are set to start taking bets in the fourth quarter of 2025. There are likewise set to be nearly twice as many betting choices in Missouri as Kansas.
FanDuel and DraftKings contributed more than $30 million to support the tally step. The two U.S. market share leaders have, as expected, announced plans to take bets in Missouri once licensed.
Other books including BetMGM, BetRivers and Underdog likewise revealed launch plans. Bet365 struck a handle MLB's St. Louis Cardinals and also plans to accept bets in the state.
Caesars, which opposed the tally procedure over license allowance issues, operates 3 Missouri casinos and is eligible to release its online book in the state. Penn Entertainment (ESPN BET) and Bally's (Bally Bet) likewise run Missouri gambling establishments that grant them instant market gain access to.
Other books consisting of Acid rock, live in Illinois, might likewise pursue among approximately two-dozen possible Missouri sports wagering licenses.
The wider selection of Show Me State wagering alternatives could bring in Kansas bettors in the Kansas City metro area to Missouri to place bets, reversing years of bettor traffic going the opposite instructions. This might accelerate if the Sunflower State reduces its sportsbook lineup, particularly if DraftKings and/or FanDuel can no longer accept bets.
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Missouri citizens in the Kansas City city were the most ardent advocates of the sports betting ballot procedure, which might underscore homeowners' interest in placing bets in their home state once books go live.
Missouri's sports wagering lineup is uncertain ahead of the 2025 launch. Kansas' sportsbooks could alter too in the ensuing years.
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