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Kansas Edges Out Missouri in 'Sports Betting' Border War
By Jeff Osienya May 06, 2022 LegalityKansas wins regulated sports betting approval in the Senate, edging out its next-door neighbor Missouri in the race to market debut. The bill now awaits the governor’s signature before officially becoming state law.The dream of legal sports betting in Kansas is coming to life after the Senate narrowly approved a regulated sports betting bill. It has been a long fight in Kansas, with many prior attempts always coming short of convincing both the House and the Senate. The biggest concern for the conservative side in Kansas was that allowing sports betting in the state would result in widespread gambling addictions among its population. Thankfully, after careful deliberations on how best to solve the challenge, the bill finally won the okay of the majority of legislators.
Pro-sports betting groups in the Sunflower State can now breathe a sigh of relief as the final hurdle that remains is a signature by Governor Laura Kelly, who is expected to sign it into law. The Senate triumph came with 21 affirmative votes against 13 'nays' a few days after winning 73 okays against 49 members who objected in the House. To understand how close the bill came to failing in the Senate, you should bear in mind that the measure required a 50% threshold to sail through. So, with 21 members giving it a thumbs up, it was just a single vote short of failing to achieve that threshold as the Kansas Senate has 40 legislators.
This journey highlights that it wasn’t a smooth-sailing pathway for the sports betting bill in Missouri. In fact, it was the second time the bill was being brought back to the Senate in a week after being rejected the first time. No problems are expected on the governor’s side, though, as the governor has been one of the fiercest supporters of the sports betting bill.
The Specifics of the Bill
Once the bill is signed into law, it will allow Kansas residents to bet on all their favorite sports teams within Kansas. State residents will have the liberty to enjoy online and mobile betting via smartphones, and computers, alongside retail wagering at sportsbooks in the local brick-and-mortar casinos.
The state will then place a 10% tax on every bet placed within its borders. As we have witnessed with many other US states going through this same process, the tax percentage cut has always elicited bitter divisions, and for Kansas, it was no different. Before arriving at the 10% final figure, there had been talks of a 20% hold that met fierce opposition from several casinos such as Boyd Gaming’s Kansas Star, Penn National Gaming’s Hollywood, and the Prairie Band Casino and Resort.
A substantial amount (80%) of the revenue from sports will go to a special kitty the state is a starting in a bid to lure major sports teams to the state. The main target for this clause is the Kansas City Chiefs, who have expressed their desire to move stadiums. As you can imagine, not everyone was particularly thrilled with the idea of using 80% of the revenue to lure sports teams to Kansas. A move that almost literally killed the sports betting bill.
Additionally, the bill will allow each of the state’s four land-based casinos to partner with three national sportsbooks. So, we can be sure all the big hitters in the US sportsbook scene like FanDuel, DraftKings, and Caesars will already be positioning themselves to grab a piece of the Kansas sports betting pie. On top of that, each of these casinos will be allowed to partner with up to 50 retailers.
Border Wars: Kansas vs. Missouri
One of the biggest reasons Kansas has been so determined to pass the sports betting bill is the events taking place in Missouri, its next-door neighbor. The Show-Me State, just like Kansas, has also been trying its hand at sports betting. As such, there has been some sort of neighborly rivalry over who would pass the sports betting legislation first. It has been no secret as Kansas Rep. Stephanie Clayton admitted as much when she said, “When you have bistate stuff, with Missouri getting close, that’s pushed us. And plus, finally, the stakeholders decided to adult and come together on things.”
Unfortunately for Missouri, not only does it look like Kansas will pass the finishing line first, but it also has hit a snag with its sports betting legislation following a spirited Filibuster effort by Senator Denny Hoskins. The legislator was opposed to the removal of a clause that was meant to regulate Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) in the state and decided to pump the breaks on the entire measure altogether in the Senate. With an impending deadline of May 13th, it may be a little too late for Missouri to pass the legislation calendar.
The Road Ahead for Sports Betting in 2022
With Kansas already taking the final steps in its sports betting forays, the sports betting scene is about to look even more exciting. We have the much-anticipated upcoming NFL season that will undoubtedly attract tons of betting interest. Moreover, there will also be several significant tournaments coming up in tennis, but none as prestigious as the Wimbledon and the US Open.
That being said, the whole country feels set for the sports betting journey in 2022 as more and more states are joining the fold. For instance, Maine recently passed its sports betting legislature, where Native American tribes will have total control over the mobile betting market.
Louisiana is also another state that recently passed a regulated sports betting legislation and is making a killing. However, of all the newest entrants into the sports betting scene, the biggest success story has so far been New York. The Empire State has seen record-breaking numbers since online wagering was launched early this year.
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