Missouri Sports Betting Launch might Come Before Kansas Sportsbook Changes
Missouri sports bettors have crossed into Kansas for almost 3 years to position legal sports bets. Three years from now, Kansas residents may do the exact same.
Key takeaways
- Kansas lawmakers stopped new sportsbook license extensions till 2026, meaning possible regulatory changes that could impact its 6 legal operators after 2027.
- Missouri is set to introduce legal mobile sportsbooks in late 2025, possibly reversing cross-border betting patterns as Kansas wagerers might head east.
- Future modifications in Kansas might include a sole-operator design or tax hikes, impacting competitors and motivating bettors to seek options in Missouri.
Kansas sports betting background
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Kansas introduced its very first legal mobile sportsbooks in 2022. Six books now take bets: BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, ESPN BET, Fanatics and FanDuel.
The capability to place legal bets in Kansas draws in bettors on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metro area to Kansas to bet, with some doing so most or almost every day of the week.
That might change if Kansas legislators upend the existing regulatory structure. Sources inform Covers some lawmakers wish to increase the state's sports betting wagering tax profits, among the most affordable per capita of any of the 30 states with statewide legal mobile sportsbooks.
Kansas' most likely reconsideration of its six-book legal sports wagering market next year will come after Missouri goes deal with as lots of as a lots books; if Kansas drastically curtails its offerings, it might lead KS wagerers to put bets in MO, the reverse of the existing pattern
The changes could be as simple as a tax increase. It might also result in a sole-source operator design some lawmakers are considering, sports betting one that could produce more direct revenue for the state but potentially require out some or all of the six existing sportsbooks when their licenses end in Aug. 2027.
The legislation passed previously this month only positions a prohibition up until 2026, suggesting Kansas' existing sportsbooks can take bets up until their licenses end the following year. Lawmakers might not even consider a remarkable change to the regulative structure when they reconvene for the 2026 session, meaning no noticeable effect for Sunflower State bettors.
But the license extension prohibition leaves the possibility for significant modifications that didn't seem feasible weeks ago.
Missouri sportsbooks prepare to launch
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The Kansas move comes as Missouri nears the launch of its legal sportsbooks.
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Missouri's multi-year sports betting wagering legalization push ended in Nov. 2024, when citizens directly approved a ballot measure to bring legal retail and online sportsbooks to the state. The vote followed years of failed 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 also set to be nearly twice as numerous betting options in Missouri as Kansas.
FanDuel and DraftKings contributed more than $30 million to support the ballot measure. The 2 U.S. market share leaders have, as expected, revealed plans to take bets in Missouri when accredited.
Other books consisting of BetMGM, sports betting BetRivers and Underdog also revealed launch strategies. Bet365 struck an offer with MLB's St. Louis Cardinals and also plans to accept bets in the state.
Caesars, which the tally procedure over license allowance concerns, operates three Missouri gambling establishments and is qualified to introduce its online book in the state. Penn Entertainment (ESPN BET) and Bally's (Bally Bet) also operate Missouri gambling establishments that grant them instant market access.
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Other books including Acid rock, live in Illinois, could likewise pursue one of approximately two-dozen potential Missouri sports betting licenses.
The wider selection of Show Me State betting options could bring in Kansas bettors in the Kansas City city area to Missouri to position bets, reversing years of gambler traffic going the opposite instructions. This might accelerate if the Sunflower State reduces its sportsbook lineup, especially if DraftKings and/or FanDuel can no longer accept bets.
Missouri citizens in the Kansas City metro were the most ardent fans of the sports wagering ballot measure, which might underscore citizens' interest in positioning bets in their home state as soon as books go live.
Missouri's sports betting lineup doubts ahead of the 2025 launch. Kansas' sportsbooks could change too in the ensuing years.
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