It’s Official: Kansas Sportsbooks to Launch September 1
Rumors have been circulating about a potential launch date for sports betting in the state of Kansas, but now an official launch date has been set. Both retail and mobile sportsbooks in Kansas can officially go live on September 1, hitting the target date that was initially set.
Both the Kansas Lottery and the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission had to approve temporary rules that would be used to govern the industry. Both groups accomplished this earlier this month, and that was the biggest hurdle that needed to be overcome.
September 1 will actually be the date of a soft launch in the state, but that will still give bettors a chance to submit wagers. A full launch is expected to happen on September 8, which is just in time for the start of the 2022 NFL season.
The state of Kansas owns four casino properties, and that is where the retail betting will take place. Those retail properties can then partner with up to three online sportsbook companies to create a large and competitive online sports betting industry.
When Kansas does officially launch mobile wagering on September 1, it will be the third state in 2022 to offer this market. Both New York and Louisiana also launched mobile betting this year, but those two states previously had retail sports betting in place.
Maine and Massachusetts are two other states that legalized sports betting this year, but Kansas has beaten them to get the industry up and running.
Big Announcements Coming
Now that the official launch date has been announced in the state, it will soon be announced what sportsbook operators will begin taking wagers. Some of the top online operators have already announced that they will be entering the state, but those partnerships are not yet clear.
DraftKings and FanDuel have both started offering a pre-registration welcome bonus, and that will remain open until September 1. Now that a soft launch date has been set, other operators are expected to go through a similar process.
FOX Bet was one of the most recent operators to announce plans to offer mobile sports betting in Kansas. The other operators on that list include Barstool Sportsbook, Bally Bet, BetMGM, Caesars, and PointsBet. There could eventually be 12 online sportsbooks that are taking wagers in the state.
Kansas Wasted No Time
Lawmakers in the state of Kansas weren’t able to pass a bill to legalize sports betting until the end of April, and the bill was signed in May. A September 1 launch date was the initial target, but few states have been able to get the industry up and running as quickly as what has taken place in Kansas.
A sports betting launch right before the start of an NFL season has been the plan in several other states throughout the country, and it’s a path that has worked out well. Kansas sports bettors are expected to flock to sportsbooks and wager on the Kansas City Chiefs.
