DraftKings, BarStool Sports, Others Prepare for Kansas Soft Launch Thursday
DraftKings is among the sportsbooks preparing for a soft mobile launch in the state of Kansas this Thursday September 1.
Kansas is set to become the 18th U.S. state in which DraftKings offers its online sportsbook.
In addition to the mobile website, the company will be operating a retail sportsbook at the Boot Hill Casino & Resort, which is located in the southwest portion of the state in Dodge City. That retail sportsbook is slated to open some time in October.
“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to deliver our award-wining products to Kansas sports fans for the 2022 NFL and college football seasons," said Matt Kalish, DraftKings Co-Founder and President, DraftKings North America. “It’s an especially exhilarating time of year, and we are excited for eligible Kansans to be able to get in on all the action through DraftKings’ seamless and responsible sports betting experience.”
DraftKings will also allow customers to enjoy the company's first-ever blockchain-based gaming franchise, Reignmakers Football. It allows individuals to collect Player Card NFTs within new fantasy contests throughout the 2022 NFL season.
The only retail "walk-in" sportsbook slated to begin operating on Thursday is located at the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway. It will be operated by Barstool Sports, recently aquired in full by Penn Gaming. FoxBet is slated to operate a mobile sportsbook in partnership with the casino. The sportsbook is conveniently located just 15 miles from Kansas City, Missouri. That state is yet to legalize the activity.
“We’ll have a service and entertainment options that can’t be emulated, at least for now,” Rick Skinner, the general manager and vice president of Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway, told BetKansas. “I think that our biggest response, given our geographic location, is going to be from a mile or two to the east. I think we’ll see a lot of visitations from the Missouri side of Kansas City, from people who are interested in that form of entertainment.”
Kansas Crossing Casino and Kansas Star Casino will also offer retail sportsbooks and mobile sports betting.
Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane will have both an in-person sportsbook and mobile sports betting through a partnership with FanDuel.
Kansas Crossing Casino in Pittsburg will offer mobile sports gambling utilizing three different companies: BetMGM, Caesars, and PointsBet.
Left out in the cold will be the Wyandotte tribe and its CrossWinds Casino, within close proximity of the state's largest city of Wichita.
Chief Billy Friend told local Wichita news affiliate KAKE, “We're limited to class two, currently. Class three would open up card games, roulette, craps tables, and sports betting, I mean, that falls under what we call class three gaming.”
He elaborated further that the casino cannot offer class 3 gaming as they are not entered into a compact with the state of Kansas.
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly legalized sports betting back in May when she signed SB into law. The Kansas Lottery will oversee sports betting in the state. The state will collect a 10% tax on each bet.
- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com
