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Regulated sportsbooks currently licensed in Kansas may be on life support following a surprising last minute budget provision approval.
iGamblingBusiness reported on what's at stake.
The amendment says that for the 2025 and 2026 fiscal years, “no expenditures shall be made by the above agency from monies appropriated from the state general fund or from any special revenue fund… to negotiate or enter into any contract or extension or renewal of an existing contract for the management of sports wagering with any lottery gaming facility manager.”
Any impact probably won't be felt for at least another two years
FanDuel, Caesars, DraftKings, BetMGM, ESPN Bet and Fanatics contracts don't expire until 2027.
“This is reckless budget maneuvering that threatens to pull the rug out from under a successful, regulated sports betting market,” iDEA’s state advocacy director John Pappas told iGB. “It serves no meaningful fiscal purpose, but it will take dollars and consumer protections away from Kansans – pushing them toward illegal, unregulated gambling sites that pay no taxes and offer no safeguards. It’s bad policy, bad process, and bad for Kansas.”
The amendment expires on June 30, 2026 with the potential for a compromise to be reached prior to that date.
To be clear, there would still be regulated sports betting in Kansas beyond this point. Lawmakers, however, may be honing in on a single operator (monopoly) model that has fared poorly in states like New Hampshire and Oregon for the most part. The model has had better luck in Florida where Hard Rock Bet encounters zero competition, but none of this bodes well for the sports bettor seeking competitive lines and promo options.
The state's population is just shy of 3 million but nearly a million of that comprises the Kansas City metro area, home of the Chiefs.
Despite its small population, the state is home to a handful of highly successful college basketball programs in recent years that include the Kansas Jayhawks (Lawrence), Kansas State Wildcats (Manhattan) and Wichita Shockers.
In WalletHub's 2025 list of "Best Cities for College Basketball Fans," Lawrence, Kansas, is ranked No. 6.
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