Kansas

Since its launch in 2022, the sports betting market in Kansas has been steadily growing into a strong one. Currently, six mobile betting apps are available to complement the retail betting offered, and the number of online operators could increase over the coming years.

There aren’t many limitations regarding what Kansas bettors can wager on legally. Both professional and collegiate sports are available to bet on in the state, and residents even have the option to bet on in-state colleges.

Residents can also access daily fantasy sports apps. No law currently regulates DFS products in the state, but big-name operators can still offer services. Some of these operators include PrizePicks, OwnersBox, FanDuel DFS, DraftKings DFS, and Boom Fantasy.

With horse racing and greyhound racing also legally offered to bettors in KS, the two main things bettors in the state cannot wager on are politics and eSports.

Online sports betting in The Sunflower State

The push to legalize sports betting in Kansas came before the US Supreme Court overturned PASPA in 2018. Sports betting was a consistent topic of discussion in Kansas, but there were consistent problems and arguments on the matter starting in 2018. Early on, there was discourse on the tax rate, which the state’s lottery wanted to be 50%, which did not appeal to the casinos.

Even after the tax rate was figured out, the pandemic caused problems, and Governor Laura Kelly seemed to oppose the idea of legal sports betting, which gave lawmakers yet another hurdle to jump through. It wasn’t until 2022 that SB 84 was agreed upon by both the House and Senate, which allowed the law to be signed on May 12th. This timing worked out well for the state since it allowed the casinos to make partnerships, which gave way to the six online operators officially launching on September 1st of that year.

Before this groundbreaking decision, there were already ten casinos in the state, but initially, only the four that were regulated by the state had permission to partner with online operators. This allowed 12 online operators to enter the state market, but only six mobile sportsbook operators are currently active.

While six operators may not seem like a lot compared to other states with legal sports betting, residents in Kansas have access to the biggest names in the market right now. These sportsbooks include FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, ESPN Bet, and the Fanatics Sportsbook (formerly PointsBet).

Thanks to a recent change in the bill that now allows tribal casinos to offer online sports betting, the market should only continue to grow, with more operators potentially entering the state during 2025.

All legal KS sports betting apps in 2025 (from newest to oldest):

Sports betting & gambling legislation in KS

The legal betting age in Kansas varies depending on what a customer wants to bet on. For online and retail sports betting, bettors must be 21 to place a legal wager. However, for horse racing and anything related to the lottery, residents can be 18 years old to participate.

Two governing bodies regulate gambling in the state. The Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission oversees all advertisements for sports betting, while the Kansas Lottery is in charge of regulations and licenses.

Tax-wise, the tax rate on gambling varies depending on income and tax bracket. For now, the tax scale for this matter has rates ranging between 3.1% and 5.7%. All big gambling wins are also subject to a flat rate of 5%, which the Kansas Lottery withholds.

A state lottery is one way that Kansas has built up its gambling market. While sports betting, in-person casinos, horse race betting apps, and the lottery are fully available, markets like online casinos and online poker remain illegal in KS, and there are no signs of that changing in the near future.

Most recent updates from the KS sports betting scene

• December 20, 2024: Heading into conference play, the Kansas Jayhawks basketball team has the third-best odds to win the Big 12 regular season title at (+380).

• December 9, 2024: Kansas State will play Rutgers in the Rate Bowl on December 26th. The Wildcats are currently (-7) point favorites.

• November 25, 2024: Looking for their 4th straight win and to clinch bowl eligibility, the Kansas Jayhawks will head to Baylor this weekend, where they are (+1) point underdogs.

• November 18, 2024: Legendz Social Sportsbook launches in Kansas and 42 other states, offering high RTP and daily rewards. Free play and real prize redemptions are available to 18+ players, along with a full array of props, parlays, and sports betting options.

• November 18, 2024: Fresh off ending BYU's perfect season, the Kansas Jayhawks are set to host the Colorado Buffaloes as (+3) point underdogs.

• November 11, 2024: Following a narrow win over North Carolina, the Kansas Jayhawks will head to the Champions Classic to play Michigan State on Tuesday. The Jayhawks are currently favored by (-6).

• November 7, 2024: In an exciting early season showdown, the Kansas Jayhawks will take on the North Carolina Tar Heels on Friday, Nov. 8th. Kansas is currently favored by (-7).

In-person sports betting sites and locations

There are ten casinos in Kansas, six of which are tribal, and the other four are commercial. When SB 84 officially went into law on July 1, 2022, the four commercial casinos in the state, one of which was owned by the state, became legally allowed to partner with online operators and offer retail sports betting.

It took until May 2023 for the state to change the sports betting law to allow tribal casinos to offer online sports betting. As a result, the Prarie Band Casino & Resort became the first tribal casino in the state to open a retail sportsbook on January 4, 2024.

Sports betting in neighboring states

Two of the four states bordering Kansas offer legalized sports betting. Colorado and Nebraska offer some form of sports betting, while Missouri and Oklahoma are still struggling to get a bill passed despite consistent efforts.

Click on the respective state below to get more information on what is offered in both CO and NE or to find out what is standing in the way of the other states passing a sports betting bill.

Sports betting revenue impact on Kansas' economy

2024 was the second full calendar year for the legal Kansas sports betting market, and the state has seen solid numbers when it comes to handle and revenue across the board. During 2024, KS bettors placed, on average, around $210 million worth of real-money wagers monthly, which roughly resulted in an average monthly revenue of $18.5 million and tax income of $1.1 million each month.

With recent legislation that allows tribal casinos to open sportsbooks, Kansas should continue to see gradual growth in monthly handle, revenue, and tax income. State's betting handle, revenue, and tax income totals from 2024 crossed the 2023 year's total figures already after the record-breaking November, and everything indicates that the KS betting market should keep growing in 2025 at a steady pace.

While the Kansas licensing fee is unknown, we do know that there is a 10% tax rate on retail and online betting, which is reasonable compared to the rest of the market. There are four commercial casinos across the state, each of which can partner with a maximum of three online operators.

However, there is a way that a casino could partner with more online skins, as they can request another partnership if it is through a pro sports team in the state. Aside from online operators, casinos can also partner with 50 retailers.

Kansas sports betting record months:

• Sports betting handle: November 2024 ($290,968,780)

• Revenue: November 2024 ($34,755,047)

• Tax income: November 2024 ($2,552,778)

Latest KS sports betting revenue report breakdown (November 2024)

• Total betting handle: $290,968,780 (All-time high)

  • Online/mobile betting handle: $279,022,900

  • Retail betting handle: $11,945,880

• Winnings Paid to Players: $256,213,733

  • Hold: 11.95%

• Gross revenue: $34,755,047 (All-time high)

  • Adjusted (taxable) revenue: $25,527,777

• Tax revenue for the state: $2,552,778 (All-time high)

Reported by the Kansas Lottery.

Top 6 online sportsbook apps in the state in November 2024:

1. DraftKings: Handle: $128m, Revenue: $11.7m

2. FanDuel: Handle: $86.5m, Revenue: $8.9m

3. BetMGM: Handle: $26.2m, Revenue: $1.7m

4. Caesars Sportsbook: Handle: $13.2m, Revenue: $744,917

5. Fanatics Sportsbook: Handle: $12.5m, Revenue: $672,738

6. ESPN BET: Handle: $12.3m, Revenue: $786,023

Recent revenue report data - Compared to the previous year (YoY)

KS sports betting revenue in 2024

The following table shows how the Kansas sports betting market has evolved during the present 2024 year. The published data regarding betting handle, revenue, and state tax income are all gathered below, with the percentage indicating the change of such figures compared to the previous month.

Yearly revenue data