Missouri sports betting wagerers have actually crossed into Kansas for sports betting almost 3 years to position legal sports bets. Three years from now, Kansas residents may do the very same.

Key takeaways

- Kansas lawmakers stopped new sportsbook license extensions till 2026, hinting at possible regulative modifications that could impact its six legal operators after 2027.

- Missouri is set to introduce legal mobile sportsbooks in late 2025, potentially reversing cross-border betting trends as Kansas bettors might head east.

- Future changes in Kansas could consist of a sole-operator model or tax hikes, affecting competition and encouraging wagerers to seek alternatives in Missouri.

Kansas sports betting wagering background

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

The capability to position legal bets in Kansas brings 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 change if Kansas lawmakers upend the current regulative structure. Sources inform Covers some lawmakers want to increase the state's sports betting tax income, among the most affordable per capita of any of the 30 states with statewide legal mobile sportsbooks.

Kansas' most likely reconsideration of its six-book legal sports betting market next year will come after Missouri goes live with as numerous as a dozen books; if Kansas drastically cuts its offerings, it might lead KS wagerers to place bets in MO, the reverse of the present pattern

The alterations could be as simple as a tax boost. It could also result in a sole-source operator model some lawmakers are thinking about, sports betting one that could create more direct earnings for the state however possibly displace some or all of the 6 existing sportsbooks once their licenses expire in Aug. 2027.

The legislation passed previously this month just places a restriction till 2026, suggesting Kansas' existing sportsbooks can take bets up until their licenses end the list below year. Lawmakers may not even consider a dramatic change to the regulatory structure when they reconvene for the 2026 session, suggesting no noticeable impact for sports betting Sunflower State gamblers.

But the license extension prohibition leaves the possibility for sports betting significant modifications that didn't appear 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 betting wagering legalization push ended in Nov. 2024, when citizens narrowly approved a ballot procedure to bring legal retail and online sportsbooks to the state. The vote followed years of unsuccessful efforts to legislate sports wagering in the legislature.

Missouri's legal sportsbooks are set to start taking bets in the 4th quarter of 2025. There are also set to be nearly two times as lots of wagering options in Missouri as Kansas.

FanDuel and DraftKings contributed more than $30 million to support the ballot procedure. The two U.S. market share leaders have actually, as expected, revealed strategies to take bets in Missouri when accredited.

Other books consisting of BetMGM, BetRivers and Underdog likewise revealed launch strategies. Bet365 struck an offer with MLB's St. Louis Cardinals and also plans to accept bets in the state.

Caesars, which opposed the tally procedure over license allotment concerns, runs 3 Missouri casinos and is eligible to introduce its online book in the state. Penn Entertainment (ESPN BET) and Bally's (Bally Bet) likewise operate Missouri gambling establishments that give them instant market access.

Other books including Hard Rock, reside in Illinois, could likewise pursue among roughly two-dozen possible Missouri sports wagering licenses.

The larger selection of Show Me State wagering choices could draw in Kansas bettors in the Kansas City city area to Missouri to position bets, reversing years of bettor traffic going the opposite direction. This might speed up if the Sunflower State curtails its sportsbook lineup, particularly if DraftKings and/or FanDuel can no longer accept bets.

Missouri voters in the Kansas City city were the most ardent fans of the sports betting ballot step, which could underscore locals' interest in positioning bets in their home state once books go live.

Missouri's sports wagering lineup is unsure ahead of the 2025 launch. Kansas' sportsbooks could alter too in the occurring years.