Missouri Sports Betting Launch could Come Before Kansas Sportsbook Changes

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

Key takeaways

– Kansas legislators halted new sportsbook license extensions till 2026, meaning possible regulatory changes that could affect its six legal operators after 2027.

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

– Future modifications in Kansas might consist of a sole-operator model or tax hikes, affecting competitors and encouraging bettors to look for alternatives in Missouri.

Kansas sports wagering background

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

The ability to put legal bets in Kansas draws in gamblers on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metro area to Kansas to bet, with some doing so most or nearly every day of the week.

That could alter if Kansas legislators overthrow the current regulatory structure. Sources tell Covers some lawmakers wish to increase the state’s sports betting tax revenue, among the lowest per capita of any of the 30 states with statewide legal mobile sportsbooks.

Kansas’ most likely reconsideration of its six-book legal sports betting wagering market next year will come after Missouri goes cope with as lots of as a dozen books; if Kansas considerably cuts its offerings, it might lead KS bettors to place bets in MO, the reverse of the current pattern

The changes could be as basic as a tax increase. It might also result in a sole-source operator model some lawmakers are thinking about, one that could produce more direct income for the state but possibly dislodge some or all of the six existing sportsbooks when their licenses end in Aug. 2027.

The legislation passed previously this month just puts a prohibition until 2026, implying Kansas’ current sportsbooks can take bets until their licenses end the list below year. Lawmakers may not even think about a dramatic modification to the regulatory structure when they reconvene for the 2026 session, indicating no noticeable impact for Sunflower State gamblers.

But the license extension restriction leaves the possibility for dramatic changes that didn’t seem possible weeks back.

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 directly authorized a tally procedure to bring legal retail and online sportsbooks to the state. The vote followed years of unsuccessful efforts to legalize sports wagering 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 two times as numerous wagering choices in as Kansas.

FanDuel and DraftKings contributed more than $30 million to support the tally measure. The two U.S. market share leaders have, as expected, announced strategies to take bets in Missouri when certified.

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

Caesars, which opposed the tally step over license allocation issues, sports betting runs three Missouri gambling establishments and is qualified to introduce its online book in the state. Penn Entertainment (ESPN BET) and Bally’s (Bally Bet) likewise operate Missouri gambling establishments that approve them immediate market gain access to.

Other books consisting of Hard Rock, live in Illinois, might likewise pursue one of approximately two-dozen possible Missouri sports betting wagering licenses.

The wider selection of Show Me State betting options might attract Kansas gamblers in the Kansas City metro location to Missouri to put bets, reversing years of bettor traffic going the opposite direction. This could speed up if the Sunflower State curtails 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 fans of the sports betting ballot procedure, which might highlight citizens’ interest in positioning bets in their home state as soon as books go live.

Missouri’s sports wagering lineup doubts ahead of the 2025 launch. Kansas’ sportsbooks might alter too in the taking place years.