• A total of five sports betting bills have been introduced in Kansas, two of which would put the Kansas State Lottery in charge of operating the activity.
  • The newest bill has not been officially filed, but it is being discussed by state officials at this time.
  • Kansas has multiple casinos, racinos, and other gaming facilities, along with premier Division 1 collegiate sports programs.

TOPEKA, Kan. – Obtaining some form of legal sports betting in the Midwest is proving to be more difficult then some would like. That is especially true in Kansas, where a new bill appears to be surfacing with the intentions to once again put the State Lottery in charge of operating and regulating this type of gaming.

While this potentially new proposal is 70 pages long, it is only a draft bill and it has not officially been filed quite yet. Last week, Kansas legislators, lobbyists, lottery officials, and league reps met to discuss the contents of this document in order to find out who stands to benefit the most if it is passed.

While this bill is similar to former ones that were filed during this legislative session, there are some key differences.

This time around, the lottery would not only act as a regulatory body but as a sportsbook vendor as well. Racetracks could then partner with both the lottery and a third-party sportsbook operator such as DraftKings or FanDuel.

The caveat lies within the fact that only the State Lottery would be able to offer in-game wagering both in-person and through mobile devices. The bill would also require the purchase of official league data.

On top of those provisions, the State Lottery would take in 50 percent of adjusted gross revenue from it’s mobile sports wagering platform 30 percent from brick-and-mortar venues. These guidelines have already seen a bit of opposition.

“We don’t believe the Kansas Lottery ought to operate a sportsbook,” said Whitney Damron, who represents Hollywood Casino in Kansas City.

There is still a good bit of time to make any possible changes if need be. The bill would most likely be filed through the Federal and State Affairs Committee which is exempt, meaning they have until the end of this current legislative session to officially introduce it. The current legislative session will end on June 26.

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