Missouri Sports Betting Launch might Come Before Kansas Sportsbook Changes
Missouri sports bettors have crossed into Kansas for almost 3 years to place legal sports betting bets. Three years from now, Kansas residents might do the same.
Key takeaways
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- Kansas legislators halted new sportsbook license extensions till 2026, hinting at possible regulative modifications that could affect its six legal operators after 2027.
- Missouri is set to launch legal mobile sportsbooks in late 2025, possibly reversing cross-border wagering trends as Kansas bettors may head east.
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- Future modifications in Kansas might include a sole-operator model or tax walkings, affecting competitors and motivating gamblers to seek options in Missouri.
Kansas sports betting background
Kansas launched its very first legal mobile sportsbooks in 2022. Six books now take bets: BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, ESPN BET, Fanatics and sports betting FanDuel.
The ability to position legal bets in Kansas draws in wagerers on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metro area to Kansas to wager, with some doing so most or nearly every day of the week.
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That could change if Kansas legislators upend the present regulatory structure. Sources tell Covers some lawmakers wish to increase the state's sports betting tax income, 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 live with as many as a dozen books; if Kansas drastically reduces its offerings, it could lead KS gamblers to position bets in MO, the reverse of the present pattern
The changes might be as easy as a tax boost. It might also result in a sole-source operator design some lawmakers are considering, one that might create more direct profits for the state however potentially dislodge some or all of the 6 existing sportsbooks when their licenses expire in Aug. 2027.
The legislation passed previously this month only positions a prohibition until 2026, meaning Kansas' current sportsbooks can take bets up until their licenses expire the following year. might not even think about a dramatic change to the regulative structure when they reconvene for the 2026 session, indicating no perceptible effect for Sunflower State gamblers.
But the license extension restriction leaves the possibility for dramatic changes that didn't appear possible weeks earlier.
Missouri sportsbooks prepare to introduce
The Kansas relocation comes as Missouri nears the launch of its legal sportsbooks.
Missouri's multi-year sports wagering legalization push ended in Nov. 2024, when voters narrowly approved a ballot measure to bring legal retail and sports betting online sportsbooks to the state. The vote followed years of failed efforts to legalize sports wagering 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 wagering choices in Missouri as Kansas.
FanDuel and DraftKings contributed more than $30 million to support the ballot step. The two U.S. market share leaders have, as anticipated, announced plans to take bets in Missouri once accredited.
Other books consisting of BetMGM, BetRivers and Underdog also revealed launch plans. Bet365 struck a handle MLB's St. Louis Cardinals and also prepares to accept bets in the state.
Caesars, which opposed the ballot procedure over license allowance concerns, operates 3 Missouri casinos and is eligible to introduce its online book in the state. Penn Entertainment (ESPN BET) and Bally's (Bally Bet) likewise operate Missouri gambling establishments that approve them instant market gain access to.
Other books consisting of Hard Rock, live in Illinois, might also pursue among approximately two-dozen prospective Missouri sports betting wagering licenses.
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The wider variety of Show Me State betting options could draw in Kansas gamblers in the Kansas City city location to Missouri to place bets, reversing years of bettor traffic going the opposite instructions. This might accelerate if the Sunflower State curtails its sportsbook lineup, specifically if DraftKings and/or FanDuel can no longer accept bets.
Missouri citizens in the Kansas City city were the most ardent supporters of the sports betting ballot step, which could 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 might change too in the ensuing years.
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