Déjà Vu? Kansas Senate Passes Sports Betting Bill Again

• A bill passed by the Kansas Senate could bring legal sports betting to the state.
• A Kansas sports betting bill passed the Senate in 2020, but was tabled and eventually shut down due to the pandemic.

TOPEKA, Kan. – The ongoing battle for legal sports betting in Kansas just received a major step in the right direction. After the Kansas Senate already passed a sports betting bill in 2020, a new one is now making its way through legislation.

SB 84 is the new bill that is looking to replace the formerly approved SB 283 from 2020. SB 283 was a bill that made extremely positive headway through the Kansas legislative process, nearly becoming an official law.

The law would have brought legal sports betting into action, but was unfortunately tabled, and eventually died due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic delaying the final processes of the bill.

The new bill is the effective spiritual successor to the old bill, and received approval from Kansas Senate this week.

Luckily for sports bettors, momentum from the previous vote was able to hold strong and continue over to this year, where the bill passed with a vote of 26-12.

The financial effects of the pandemic left many states looking for a new form of taxable revenue, Kansas included. Bringing legal sports betting operators to the state would be the perfect way to bring in some extra money to recover the losses experienced during the pandemic.

That extra money would come from the estimated $2 billion that Kansas bettors could spend annually at state-sponsored sports betting venues in Kansas. With the proposed 5.5% tax on in-person bets and 8% tax on online bets, that would be a pretty penny for the state of Kansas.

The new bill is looking to bring sports betting to each of the state’s four licensed casinos. Additionally, each casino would be allowed to partner with up to three different online retailers.

There is also the opportunity for venues like the Kansas Speedway and Sporting Kansas City’s Children’s Marcy Park to become online sports betting areas under the new bill.

The bill would also allow betting on in-state college teams, so fans of the Kansas Jayhawks or Kansas State Wildcats can rejoice.

The bill even allows for the state’s tribal entities to open up sports betting platforms at their casinos. Currently, the Native American tribes in Kansas own four casinos, which could all eventually have their own sportsbook partners if the bill is passed.

The bill will now need to go through the appropriate steps in the House and be approved by that legislative chamber before being sent to Governor Laura Kelly for final approval.

News tags: Kansas | Kansas Jayhawks | Kansas Senate | Kansas Speedway | Kansas sports betting | Kansas State Wildcats | SB 84 | Sporting Kansas City’s Children’s Marcy Park