Kansas Sports Betting Goes Into Effect, but Bettors Still Have Some Time to Wait
On Friday, July 1st, the law which has legalized Kansas sports betting throughout the state finally went into effect. This law was signed into action by the state’s governor Laura Kelly. Although betting is technically legal throughout the state now, bettors will still need to wait a while before they can actually put any money down.
The law will bring a lot of sports betting action, and money, to the state. 10% of revenue will go towards state taxes, and of that revenue, 80% will go towards an initiative to get more professional teams into the state of Kansas. Many sports betting fans are hoping that this will work out and lead to more betting opportunities.
However, the state isn’t seeing funds quite yet, and they might not for a few weeks. Because the law was just recently passed, operators aren’t ready for bettors to come in and place their bets already. Time is still needed for construction, amidst other hurdles.
Kansas Sports Betting is Up to the Operators
The specific date for sports betting to begin will be January 1, 2023, at the very latest, but many operators, bettors, and even Governor Laura Kelly herself are hoping for a much sooner start date. It’s up to the operators to have actual venues for sports betting.
Hollywood Casino, a Penn National Gaming-operated casino, is one of the venues where sports betting will be taking place, and they’ve talked of building a temporary site for sports betting enthusiasts to place their bets in time for the NFL season. They’re hoping for it to be open by September 1st, while they still construct a more permanent area for sports betting in the future.
Other casinos that will be bringing sports betting to the table include Boot Hill Casino, Kansas Star, and Kansas Crossing. Their operators are Boyd Gaming and JNB.
Read more about Kansas sports betting.
Operators May Run into Issues
Although many throughout the state are hopeful that September 1st will be the opening date for sports betting in a majority of the casinos, operators may run into trouble with a few of the requirements set into the legislation.
According to the law passed that enacted sports betting throughout the state, photo I.D.s will be required to place any wagers, which may be a problem for online operators, as many operators don’t currently require this on their apps or websites, and would have to update their software in order to allow those in Kansas to place bets.
Another issue that operators may bring up is the requirement of using one platform per operator for both in-person and mobile wagering. Many operators use two or more different platforms, depending on how bets are placed, and this would require either clarification in the written law, or adjustments made on the operators’ side.
Regardless, sports bettors in Kansas can expect to see sports betting brought to some of their favorite casinos soon. Even if issues do arise, it is highly likely that they will be resolved before the start of the football season, or before the new year at the very latest.
