- Kansas budget bill blocks regulators from renewing sportsbook licenses
- Licenses are set to expire in 2027
- Current Kansas sportsbooks include ESPN BET, DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars Sportsbook, BetMGM and Fanatics
Last week Kansas lawmakers in the House of Representatives voted on a budget provision that blocks the Kansas Lottery from extending sportsbook licenses for the state’s six active operators. The decision creates an uncertain future for Kansas sports betting operators.
Kansas sports bettors can place bets at six operators including ESPN BET, DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars Sportsbook, BetMGM and Fanatics. The amendment to Senate Bill 125 blocks extensions being made during the fiscal years of 2025 and 2026. Current sportsbook licenses are active until August 31, 2027, meaning Kansas sports bettors will still be able to place bets for the foreseeable future.
Governor Laura Kelly’s Veto Overridden
Earlier in 2025, Kansas lawmakers passed a budget bill with a provision that blocked gaming regulators from offering or negotiating extensions. The bill was vetoed by Democratic Governor Laura Kelly. However, the Republican-controlled House and Senate overrode the decision, one of many vetoes recently made.
The next time period to revisit the state’s sports betting structure won’t come until next year when the legislative session opens in January 2026.
The recent provision doesn’t delegalize sports betting in the Sunflower State. However, if new regulations are approved, renegotiating licenses could prove more challenging and some operators could be forced to go dark. Kansas currently offers one of the lowest taxes on sportsbook operators at only 10%. A higher tax rate, new rules and limitations and even a more restricted and less competitive and open model could all be on the table.
The amendment to the budget provision is in place until June 30, 2026. After this time extensions could be negotiated. However, lawmakers could choose to extend it further.
Kansas Sports Betting Legal Since 2022
Kansas legalized online and retail sports betting in 2022 and the first bets were taken on September 1. Kansas sports betting laws allow for 12 online sportsbooks to be licensed, while additionally requiring them to make contracts with one of the state’s four retail casinos.
Since launching legal sports betting in 2022, Kansas has seen nearly $6 billion in bets made, also known as handle. That’s translated into over $500 million of revenue and almost $30 million of tax funds. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, those figures were over $700 million in handle, over $45 million in revenue and over $4.5 million in tax returns.
In 2024, Kansas sportsbooks accepted $2,546,011,854 in handle.
In March 2025, among the six active sportsbooks, the DraftKings app took in the most wagers. The figures for all six sportsbooks were as follows.
- DraftKings: $101,483,856
- FanDuel: $85,449,244
- BetMGM: $19,931,047
- Fanatics: $15,023,051
- ESPN BET: $10,128,069
- Caesars Sportsbook: $9,664,986
Meanwhile, the neighboring state of Missouri is gearing up for a legal launch of online Missouri sports betting later this year in December.