Missouri Sports Betting Launch could Come Before Kansas Sportsbook Changes
Missouri sports betting bettors have crossed into Kansas for sports betting almost 3 years to put legal sports bets. Three years from now, Kansas citizens might do the very same.
Key takeaways
- Kansas lawmakers halted new sportsbook license extensions until 2026, meaning possible regulative modifications that could impact its six legal operators after 2027.
- Missouri is set to release legal mobile sportsbooks in late 2025, sports betting possibly reversing cross-border betting trends as Kansas bettors may head east.
- Future modifications in Kansas could include a sole-operator design or tax hikes, impacting competitors and motivating gamblers to seek alternatives in Missouri.
Kansas sports betting wagering background
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Kansas introduced its first legal mobile sportsbooks in 2022. Six books now take bets: BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, ESPN BET, Fanatics and FanDuel.
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The capability to position legal bets in Kansas draws in gamblers on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metro location to Kansas to wager, with some doing so most or nearly every day of the week.
That might change if Kansas legislators overthrow the current regulative structure. Sources inform Covers some legislators wish to increase the state's sports wagering tax income, among the lowest per capita of any of the 30 states with statewide legal mobile sportsbooks.
Kansas' likely reconsideration of its six-book legal sports betting market next year will follow Missouri goes live with as lots of as a dozen books; if Kansas considerably reduces its offerings, it could lead KS wagerers to put bets in MO, the opposite of the present pattern
The alterations might be as easy as a tax boost. It could also lead to a sole-source operator design some legislators are thinking about, one that could generate more direct profits for the state but potentially force out some or all of the 6 existing sportsbooks once their licenses end in Aug. 2027.
The legislation passed earlier this month only puts a restriction till 2026, meaning Kansas' existing sportsbooks can take bets up until their licenses end the following year. Lawmakers may not even consider a significant modification to the when they reconvene for the 2026 session, indicating no perceptible impact for Sunflower State bettors.
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But the license extension restriction leaves the possibility for remarkable changes that didn't appear practical weeks earlier.
Missouri sportsbooks prepare to release
The Kansas move comes as Missouri nears the launch of its legal sportsbooks.
Missouri's multi-year sports betting legalization push ended in Nov. 2024, when citizens narrowly authorized a tally step to bring legal retail and online sportsbooks to the state. The vote followed years of unsuccessful efforts to legalize sports betting in the legislature.
Missouri's legal sportsbooks are set to begin taking bets in the 4th quarter of 2025. There are likewise set to be nearly two times as many wagering choices in Missouri as Kansas.
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FanDuel and DraftKings contributed more than $30 million to support the ballot step. The 2 U.S. market share leaders have actually, as expected, revealed plans to take bets in Missouri when certified.
Other books consisting of BetMGM, BetRivers and Underdog likewise announced launch strategies. Bet365 struck a handle MLB's St. Louis Cardinals and likewise plans to accept bets in the state.
Caesars, which opposed the tally procedure over license allocation issues, runs 3 Missouri gambling establishments and is eligible to release its online book in the state. Penn Entertainment (ESPN BET) and Bally's (Bally Bet) also operate Missouri casinos that grant them immediate market access.
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Other books including Hard Rock, live in Illinois, might likewise pursue among roughly two-dozen possible Missouri sports wagering licenses.
The wider range of Show Me State betting options could bring in Kansas wagerers in the Kansas City city area to Missouri to position bets, reversing years of gambler traffic going the opposite direction. This could accelerate if the Sunflower State cuts its sportsbook roster, specifically if DraftKings and/or FanDuel can no longer accept bets.
Missouri voters in the Kansas City city were the most ardent fans of the sports wagering tally step, which might highlight residents' interest in placing bets in their home state as soon as books go live.
Missouri's sports betting wagering lineup is uncertain ahead of the 2025 launch. Kansas' sportsbooks might alter too in the taking place years.