Missouri sports betting wagerers have crossed into Kansas for almost 3 years to put legal sports bets. Three years from now, Kansas locals might do the very same.
Key takeaways
- Kansas legislators halted brand-new sportsbook license extensions till 2026, hinting at possible regulatory modifications that could affect its six legal operators after 2027.
- Missouri is set to launch legal mobile sportsbooks in late 2025, possibly reversing cross-border wagering trends as Kansas gamblers might head east.
- Future changes in Kansas could consist of a sole-operator design or tax hikes, impacting competition and encouraging bettors to look for options in Missouri.
Kansas sports betting background
Kansas released its first legal mobile sportsbooks in 2022. Six books now take bets: BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, ESPN BET, Fanatics and FanDuel.
The capability to position legal bets in Kansas draws in gamblers 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.
That might change if Kansas legislators upend the current regulatory structure. Sources inform Covers some lawmakers wish to increase the state's sports wagering tax profits, amongst the lowest per capita of any of the 30 states with statewide legal mobile sportsbooks.
Kansas' most likely reconsideration of its six-book legal sports wagering market next year will come after Missouri goes deal with as lots of as a lots books; if Kansas significantly reduces its offerings, it might lead KS wagerers to place bets in MO, the reverse of the existing pattern
The modifications could be as simple as a tax increase. It might likewise result in a sole-source operator design some lawmakers are thinking about, one that could produce more direct income for the state however possibly dislodge some or all of the 6 existing sportsbooks as soon as their licenses expire in Aug. 2027.
The legislation passed previously this month only puts a restriction till 2026, indicating Kansas' existing sportsbooks can take bets up until their licenses end the list below year. Lawmakers may not even consider a remarkable modification to the regulative structure when they reconvene for the 2026 session, meaning no noticeable effect for Sunflower State gamblers.
But the license extension restriction leaves the possibility for dramatic modifications that didn't appear possible weeks earlier.
Missouri sportsbooks prepare to launch
The Kansas relocation comes as Missouri nears the launch of its legal sportsbooks.
Missouri's multi-year sports betting wagering legalization push ended in Nov. 2024, when voters directly authorized a tally measure to bring legal retail and online sportsbooks to the state. The vote followed years of failed efforts to legislate sports betting in the legislature.
Missouri's legal sportsbooks are set to begin taking bets in the fourth quarter of 2025. There are likewise set to be almost twice as lots of wagering choices in Missouri as Kansas.
FanDuel and DraftKings contributed more than $30 million to support the tally procedure. The two U.S. market share leaders have actually, as anticipated, announced strategies to take bets in Missouri as soon as certified.
Other books including BetMGM, BetRivers and Underdog likewise announced launch plans. Bet365 struck an offer with MLB's St. Louis Cardinals and likewise prepares to accept bets in the state.
Caesars, which opposed the ballot procedure over license allowance concerns, operates three Missouri gambling establishments and sports betting 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 instant market gain access to.
Other books consisting of Hard Rock, reside in Illinois, might likewise pursue one of roughly two-dozen possible Missouri sports betting licenses.
The broader range of Show Me State wagering alternatives might bring in Kansas gamblers in the Kansas City city location to Missouri to position bets, reversing years of gambler traffic going the opposite direction. This might speed up if the Sunflower State reduces its sportsbook lineup, particularly if DraftKings and/or sports betting FanDuel can no longer accept bets.
Missouri citizens in the Kansas City city were the most ardent supporters of the sports wagering ballot step, which could underscore locals' interest in putting bets in their home state as soon as books go live.
Missouri's sports betting lineup is uncertain ahead of the 2025 launch. Kansas' sportsbooks could change too in the ensuing years.
