Sportsbooks Prepping For Kansas Launch
The Midwest portion of the United States is set to see more sports betting growth as the state of Kansas will be the next to launch. An official launch date has not yet been set in the state of Kansas, but all signs point to sports betting going live before the start of the NFL season.
Sports betting has to launch prior to January 1, 2023 according to state law, but regulators were initially shooting for a September 1 launch date. Two different groups have now approved sports betting regulations, and that was a big hurdle to get past.
The Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission was the latest to officially approve sports betting rules and that happened earlier this week. The Kansas Lottery also plays a large role in this industry and that group approved the sports betting rules first.
There are some strange rules when it comes to gaming in Kansas as the state technically owns all of the gaming platforms. The Racing and Gaming Commission is in charge of overseeing gaming though, and the two groups must work together to get this industry off of the ground.
The approval of these preliminary rules and regulations is not the final step, but it does allow casinos to start partnering with sports betting operators. Kansas is going to receive a huge boost from bettors that live in the state of Missouri as that state was unable to pass a law that would legalize this industry.
Plenty of Big Operators Ready to Roll
Kansas is not expected to be one of the biggest sports betting markets in the United States, but it will be a state with some terrific options. All four of the state’s casinos will be eligible to apply for three online sports betting skins, and that process is currently underway.
Seven different partnerships have already been announced up to this point, and there are some big names that are ready to enter the state. The Hollywood Casino is currently the only property that has just one online sports betting partner, and it will likely remain that way through launch.
The sports betting tax rate in Kansas is set at 10%, which is just slightly above the national average. With so many big names set to enter Kansas, the state could see a significant boost in the overall tax revenue numbers.
Pre-Registration Now Available
The casinos in Kansas have already started to build sportsbooks on-site, but some of those sportsbooks won’t be ready on opening day. Online sportsbooks that have already received a license in the state are taking it one step further.
Pre-registration bonuses are now being offered by DraftKings and FanDuel and those are going to remain open until the official launch date. Each sportsbook is currently offering $100 in free bets to those that pre-register and that doesn’t eliminate them from the traditional welcome bonuses at the sites.
The other online sportsbooks that are approved in Kansas are: Barstool, BetMGM, Bally Bet, Caesars, and PointsBet.
