Sports Betting Industry in Kansas Faces Criticism following House Amendment
** reblooded –– By Michael Savio04/11/2025 07:01 Betting on the Future of Sports** Photo by John P Salvatore, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Grind to a Halt
- Legis late recently overrode Governor Laura Kelly's veto of a budget provision, effectively halting sports betting license negotiations in 2025 & 2026.
- Many speculate this tactic is just a sneaky move by lawmakers to renegotiate terms before expiring licenses hit the scene in 2027.
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K Medical Exam
- In Kansas, lawmakers deemed it wise to insert a provision into the state budget bill, preventing the Kansas Lottery from even discussing sports betting licenses before July 1, 2026[2][3][5].
- This move means any talk of new sportsbooks—or extending existing agreements—has to wait until mid-2026, although current licenses are set to expire in August 2027[3][5].
- The future of the Sunflower State's betting biz is shrouded in uncertainty past 2026, hinting that lawmakers might be thrashing out new regulations when the legislature reconvenes in 2026[3].
- On the table for discussion: a single-op operator model or upping the tax on sports bets to boost the meager tax revenues—which have stood at just $29 million since 2022[3].
- Stepping up the tax could slash sportsbook offerings, potentially sending bettors legging it to offshore sites, especially considering Missouri's entrance into the scene with their market launch in 2025[3].
Showing the Finger (or a Middle-Finger Salute)
- The provision to kibosh license negotiations until mid-2026 looks decidedly more than a mere regulatory measure—it seems like a negotiating ploy aimed at wrangling stakeholders, including sportsbooks and regulators, into talks during the 2026 legislative session[3][5].
- Michael Savio's take suggests that lawmakers may be masterfully employing this provision as a tactical move to gain hold of the betting market's reins, string-pulling like a puppet master before licenses start to expire[3].
- The timing of the ban's lift lines up neatly with the legislature's agenda to nosedive into a fresh policy discussion, further supporting the idea that this provision is a crafty ploy rather than just a technical tweak.
Time to Get Political
- Other states are also busying themselves with sports betting law updates—Colorado, for example, is tightening the screws on sportsbooks by forbidding them from subtracting free bets from taxable revenue from 2026 mid-year[1].
- In Cali, heavyweight talks are on the cards to possibly push sports betting back onto the ballot in 2026, involving a tangled web of negotiations among tribal leaders and sports betting operators[4].
The Lowdown
Right now, Kansas has parked the sports betting license negotiation car in the garage until July 1, 2026, thanks to a shrewd move by lawmakers that could be a cunning strategy to restructure the industry. Stakeholders are likely to be nudged into negotiations as limbo looms over the sports betting market in Kansas beyond mid-2026[3][5].
- Michael Savio's analysis on the current sports betting situation in Kansas suggests that lawmakers might be employing a strategic ploy to control the industry before expiring sports betting licenses hit the scene in 2027. As a veteran insider of the US online casino scene based in Las Vegas, Savio's insight can be valuable to anyone looking to keep up with the latest developments in the sports-betting and online casino world.
- Despite Kansas seemingly halting sports betting license negotiations until mid-2026, other states are making moves to revamp their sports betting policies. For instance, California is negotiating to potentially reintroduce sports betting on the ballot in 2026, involving a convoluted web of discussions among tribal leaders and sports betting operators.
