Kansas sports betting 'soft launch' may see limited betting options for customers
Kansas sports betting will officially begin taking wagers on Thursday, Sept. 1, but casino and online operators will not be required to offer their full sports betting catalogues during the state’s “soft launch” period.
The Kansas Lottery yesterday announced a sports betting soft launch for the state on Thursday, Sept. 1, at 12 p.m. local time. A full launch will take place on Thursday, Sept. 8, before the start of the NFL games that evening.
Kansas soft launch restrictions?
According to a Kansas Lottery spokesperson, the four state casinos and their online operator partners will only be required to take bets on the NFL, MLB, and NCAAF during the soft launch. The spokesperson did say the operators would likely offer more betting events than just those three on Sept. 1, but these are the only three event types required during the soft launch.
By the Sept. 8 full launch the spokesperson said the operators will likely be offering their full catalogue of betting events.
Despite the potentially limited betting catalogue, the spokesperson noted that no other restrictions would be placed on Kansas sports bettors or the operators during the soft launch period. Customers will be able to access online sportsbook apps with no limitations, register and fund accounts, and use offered promo bets as normal.
Kansas sports betting by NFL week 1
If the state does begin taking bets on Sept. 1, it will be the quickest state turnaround from a bill being signed into law to its launch. Kansas only needed about 74 days compared with Iowa’s previous record-setting 95 day turnaround. For comparison, Maryland is still without online sports betting 456 days after its sports betting bill was signed into law.
Under temporary rules and regulations, Boot Hill Casino & Resort; Ford County near Dodge City; Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane; Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, KS; and Kansas Crossing Casino & Hotel in Pittsburg, can begin offering their patrons full sports betting access on Sept. 8.
The casinos already have several sports betting partnerships in place:
- Boot Hill Casino and Resort: DraftKings and Bally Bet
- Kansas Star Casino: BetMGM and FanDuel
- Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway: Barstool Sportsbook and FoxBET
- Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel: Caesars Sportsbook and PointsBet
“Legalizing sports betting is a common-sense solution that keeps Kansans’ money in Kansas and drives business to sporting events, casinos, restaurants, and other entertainment venues,” Gov. Laura Kelly said in a press release. “I want to thank all our partners for working with us to get this done in time for football season.”
