Missouri Sports Betting Launch could Come Before Kansas Sportsbook Changes

Missouri sports betting bettors have actually crossed into Kansas for nearly 3 years to place legal sports bets. Three years from now, Kansas residents might do the very same.

Key takeaways

– Kansas legislators stopped new sportsbook license extensions till 2026, hinting at possible regulatory changes that could impact its six legal operators after 2027.

– Missouri is set to introduce legal mobile sportsbooks in late 2025, possibly reversing cross-border betting patterns as Kansas bettors may head east.

– Future modifications in Kansas could consist of a sole-operator design or tax walkings, affecting competition and motivating bettors to seek options in Missouri.

Kansas sports wagering background

Kansas released its very first legal mobile sportsbooks in 2022. Six books now take bets: BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, ESPN BET, Fanatics and FanDuel.

The ability to place legal bets in Kansas draws in wagerers on the Missouri side of the Kansas City city location to Kansas to wager, with some doing so most or nearly every day of the week.

That might alter if Kansas legislators upend the present regulative structure. Sources inform Covers some legislators wish to increase the state’s sports betting tax income, amongst the least expensive per capita of any of the 30 states with statewide legal mobile sportsbooks.

Kansas’ likely reconsideration of its six-book legal sports betting market next year will follow Missouri goes live with as numerous as a lots books; if Kansas significantly reduces its offerings, it could lead KS wagerers to put bets in MO, the opposite of the present pattern

The modifications might be as simple as a tax boost. It could also lead to a sole-source operator model some legislators are thinking about, one that could create more direct income for the state but potentially some or all of the six existing sportsbooks when their licenses expire 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 expire the following year. Lawmakers may not even consider a remarkable change to the regulative structure when they reconvene for the 2026 session, meaning no perceptible impact for Sunflower State gamblers.

But the license extension restriction leaves the possibility for remarkable changes that didn’t seem practical weeks earlier.

Missouri sportsbooks prepare to launch

The Kansas move comes as Missouri nears the launch of its legal sportsbooks.

Missouri’s multi-year sports wagering legalization push ended in Nov. 2024, when citizens narrowly approved a ballot measure to bring legal retail and online sportsbooks to the state. The vote followed years of failed efforts to legalize 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 nearly twice as numerous betting choices in Missouri as Kansas.

FanDuel and sports betting DraftKings contributed more than $30 million to support the tally measure. The 2 U.S. market share leaders have actually, as anticipated, revealed plans to take bets in Missouri when licensed.

Other books consisting of BetMGM, BetRivers and Underdog likewise announced launch plans. Bet365 struck a handle MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals and also prepares to accept bets in the state.

Caesars, which opposed the ballot measure over license allowance concerns, operates three Missouri gambling establishments and is qualified to launch its online book in the state. Penn Entertainment (ESPN BET) and Bally’s (Bally Bet) also operate Missouri casinos that approve them immediate market access.

Other books including Acid rock, reside in Illinois, might likewise pursue among approximately two-dozen prospective Missouri sports betting wagering licenses.

The broader variety of Show Me State betting choices might bring in Kansas bettors in the Kansas City metro location to Missouri to position bets, reversing years of wagerer traffic going the opposite direction. This might accelerate if the Sunflower State cuts its sportsbook lineup, particularly if DraftKings and/or FanDuel can no longer accept bets.

Missouri citizens in the Kansas City city were the most ardent advocates of the sports betting tally procedure, which might highlight homeowners’ interest in placing bets in their home state once books go live.

Missouri’s sports wagering lineup doubts ahead of the 2025 launch. Kansas’ sportsbooks might change too in the ensuing years.