Missouri Sports Betting Launch Could Come Before Kansas Sportsbook Changes
Missouri sports gamblers have actually crossed into Kansas for nearly three years to place legal sports betting bets. Three years from now, Kansas locals might do the very same.
Key takeaways
- Kansas legislators halted new sportsbook license extensions until 2026, meaning possible regulatory changes that might affect its 6 legal operators after 2027.
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- Missouri is set to release legal mobile sportsbooks in late 2025, potentially reversing cross-border wagering patterns as Kansas gamblers might head east.
- Future modifications in Kansas could consist of a sole-operator design or sports betting tax hikes, impacting competitors and encouraging gamblers to seek options in Missouri.
Kansas sports betting background
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 put legal bets in Kansas draws in gamblers on the Missouri side of the Kansas City city area to Kansas to wager, with some doing so most or nearly every day of the week.
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That might alter if Kansas legislators upend the existing regulatory structure. Sources tell Covers some legislators wish to increase the state's sports betting wagering tax revenue, among the most per capita of any of the 30 states with statewide legal mobile sportsbooks.
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Kansas' likely reconsideration of its six-book legal sports betting market next year will come after Missouri goes live with as lots of as a dozen books; if Kansas significantly reduces its offerings, it might lead KS bettors to put bets in MO, the opposite of the current pattern
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The alterations could be as basic as a tax boost. It might likewise result in a sole-source operator design some legislators are thinking about, one that might generate more direct revenue for the state but potentially displace some or sports betting all of the six existing sportsbooks as soon as their licenses end in Aug. 2027.
The legislation passed earlier this month only places a restriction up until 2026, implying Kansas' current sportsbooks can take bets until their licenses end the list below year. Lawmakers might not even think about a significant change to the regulatory structure when they reconvene for the 2026 session, suggesting no noticeable impact for Sunflower State wagerers.
But the license extension prohibition leaves the possibility for significant modifications that didn't seem possible weeks ago.
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 directly authorized a tally step to bring legal retail and online sportsbooks to the state. The vote followed years of failed efforts to legislate sports betting in the legislature.
Missouri's legal sportsbooks are set to start taking bets in the fourth quarter of 2025. There are also set to be almost two times as many betting options in Missouri as Kansas.
FanDuel and DraftKings contributed more than $30 million to support the tally measure. The 2 U.S. market share leaders have, as anticipated, announced plans to take bets in Missouri when licensed.
Other books consisting of BetMGM, BetRivers and Underdog likewise revealed launch plans. Bet365 struck an offer with MLB's St. Louis Cardinals and likewise prepares to accept bets in the state.
Caesars, which opposed the tally step over license allotment concerns, runs 3 Missouri casinos and is qualified to launch its online book in the state. Penn Entertainment (ESPN BET) and Bally's (Bally Bet) likewise run Missouri casinos that grant them instant market access.
Other books including Hard Rock, reside in Illinois, might likewise pursue among approximately two-dozen potential Missouri sports betting licenses.
The wider range of Show Me State betting options might bring in Kansas wagerers in the Kansas City metro location to Missouri to position bets, reversing years of wagerer traffic going the opposite instructions. This might speed up if the Sunflower State cuts its sportsbook roster, particularly if DraftKings and/or FanDuel can no longer accept bets.
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Missouri citizens in the Kansas City metro were the most ardent supporters of the sports wagering tally procedure, which might highlight homeowners' interest in placing bets in their home state as soon as books go live.
Missouri's sports wagering lineup doubts ahead of the 2025 launch. Kansas' sportsbooks could change too in the taking place years.