DraftKings Gains Early Access to Kansas’ Sports Betting Market
Early Tuesday, DraftKings extended its partnership to gain early access to the Kansas sports betting market as the company announced a mobile sports betting deal with BHCMC LLC, a subordinate of Butler National Corporation. BHCMC owns and operates Boot Hill Casino & Resort in Dodge City, Kansas.
DraftKings Continues to Grow at a Rapid Pace
Residents in Kansas are not able to place any wagers on sports as DraftKings entered the state with the anticipation of it happening in the foreseeable future. All licenses and other approvals are subjected to the sports betting legislation and regulations that are currently in motion to be adopted by the state.
Many states across the country have seen record handles due to football and other sports taking place in the last quarter of 2021. Draftkings is already doing what other competitors can’t get a hold of which includes DraftKings Marketplace by offering consumers the opportunity to buy and sell NFT’s from top athletes and celebrities. DraftKings has portrayed unique ways of entering several markets as SVP Business Development, DraftKings, Jeremy Elbaum, stated,
” As we continue our quest to expand our mobile sportsbook footprint to every state in the US, we are eager to begin working with Boot Hill Casino & Resort…We look forward to the opportunities that lay ahead and remain optimistic that Kansas lawmakers will enact common-sense legislation that will benefit the state and its constituents.”
Sports betting is legal in 29 states, and DraftKings has established its brand in eighteen states with the hopes of adding more to its radar. Earlier this month, DraftKings opened a permanent location in Foxwoods in Connecticut after the state entered the sports betting industry. The company can’t go live in Kansas, but its license will most likely be approved once the bill gets passed.
The Ongoing Legal Battle in Kansas
The Kansas Legislature has struggled for years to have a consensus agreement on a sports betting bill. Kansas attempted to be the first state to welcome sports wagering to its borders after the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Participation Act in 2018. Retail and online sports betting had bipartisan support through the process; however, there were many questions as to who controls the revenue sharing.
In some states, Tribes have a monopoly in the market, which does not allow sportsbook giants to enter the market. Residents who want sports betting to be legal in the state believe that passing the bill would stimulate the state’s economy.
The most recent Senate bill, it would have granted four state-owned casinos possess significant market control while the House would have emphasized the development of sports betting through h Kansas Lottery retailers.
A new proposal would allow state-owned casinos in Pittsburg, Dodge City, Mulvane, and Kansas City, Kansas, and federally recognized tribes to open retail sportsbooks, and extend partnerships with online providers. Kansas would most likely need help from states like Missouri to help expedite the push of legalizing sports betting.
The 2022 Legislature will meet in January to discuss the issue, but there is no guarantee that this will be resolved by then. As of right now, DraftKings can only sit back and wait in this process.
