Kansas Sports Betting Gets Backing With New Legislation

Kansas is ing the streak of US states that are looking to legalize sports betting as soon as possible by running a new bill, conceived by state lawmakers, which doesn’t include the sports integrity fee – unlike the bill it is combating.

Under Senate Bill 222’s , the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission will be authorized to issue gambling licenses to facilities and racetracks that express interest in sports betting…

…also, this legislation – suggested by the Committee on Federal and State Affairs – will incur a certain cost to potential operators.

Legislation That Recognizes Mobile Wagering

Unlike numerous other pieces of legislation that have surfaced elsewhere lately…

…this particular one recognizes that punters in Kansas will have the right to place in-person sports wagers at all licensed venues, in addition to which they will also have online and mobile betting made available “from anywhere inside state’s borders.”

All professional and college sporting events would be subject to sports betting.

Kansas Lottery Has the Last Say

Venues that wish to apply for a sports betting license – that, at the moment, do not have a disclosed cost – will need to have their request approved by the Kansas Lottery.

Operators who get licensed will be allowed to find a third party provider of sportsbook technology on their own…

…in other words, they won’t be limited by certain state regulations such as those in DC that handed sports wagering to DC Lottery and Intralot only. This still needs to be approved by the Commission, but it is widely regarded as a sealed deal.

A Very Agreeable Tax

A gross gaming revenue tax of 6.75% is included in the legislation’s language, which will be received by the state. Any management contract would be a subject to this provision. The tax money would be transferred to Lottery Act Revenues Fund and then distributed from there.

Sports bettors and consumers of wagering services will be, by law, able to self-exclude themselves from any such activities at any time they wish, and operators will have to abide.

A Competing Bill

Senate Bill No. 23 that was presented in January (Kansas Wagering Act) planned for Kansas Lottery to be the main provider of sports betting, which would also be valid in-person as well as via mobile and online.

However:

The big difference is that Bill No 23 included the integrity fee provision – in other words, the sports betting right that licensed operators would have to pay to sports governing body or any authority over a sports event on which the punters are wagering.

Source:

“New Kansas sports betting bill omits integrity fee”, igamingbusiness.com, March 8, 2019.