Missouri sports wagerers have actually crossed into Kansas for almost 3 years to position legal sports bets. Three years from now, sports betting Kansas residents may do the exact same.

Key takeaways

- Kansas lawmakers stopped new sportsbook license extensions till 2026, sports betting hinting at possible regulative changes that could affect its 6 legal operators after 2027.

- Missouri is set to release legal mobile sportsbooks in late 2025, potentially reversing cross-border wagering trends as Kansas gamblers may head east.

- Future modifications in Kansas could consist of a sole-operator model or tax walkings, affecting competition and sports betting encouraging gamblers to look for alternatives in Missouri.

Kansas sports betting background

Kansas released its first legal mobile sportsbooks in 2022. Six books now take bets: BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, sports betting ESPN BET, Fanatics and FanDuel.

The capability to position legal bets in Kansas draws in bettors on the Missouri side of the city location to Kansas to bet, sports betting with some doing so most or almost every day of the week.
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That might change if Kansas lawmakers upend the current regulatory structure. Sources tell Covers some lawmakers want to increase the state's sports betting tax revenue, among the most affordable per capita of any of the 30 states with statewide legal mobile sportsbooks.

Kansas' likely reconsideration of its six-book legal sports betting market next year will come after Missouri goes deal with as many as a lots books; if Kansas considerably reduces its offerings, it could lead KS bettors to put bets in MO, the opposite of the current pattern
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The alterations might be as easy as a tax increase. It might also result in a sole-source operator model some legislators are considering, one that might produce more direct income for the state however possibly dislodge some or all of the six existing sportsbooks when their licenses expire in Aug. 2027.

The legislation passed earlier this month just places a restriction up until 2026, indicating Kansas' current sportsbooks can take bets up until their licenses expire the following year. Lawmakers might not even think about a dramatic change to the regulative structure when they reconvene for the 2026 session, suggesting no perceptible impact for Sunflower State gamblers.
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But the license extension prohibition leaves the possibility for significant modifications that didn't appear feasible weeks ago.
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Missouri sportsbooks prepare to launch

The Kansas move comes as Missouri nears the launch of its legal sportsbooks.

Missouri's multi-year sports betting legalization push ended in Nov. 2024, when citizens narrowly approved a tally procedure to bring legal retail and online sportsbooks to the state. The vote followed years of unsuccessful efforts to legalize sports betting in the legislature.

Missouri's legal sportsbooks are set to begin taking bets in the fourth quarter of 2025. There are likewise set to be almost twice as many wagering alternatives in Missouri as Kansas.

FanDuel and DraftKings contributed more than $30 million to support the tally procedure. The two U.S. market share leaders have, as anticipated, revealed strategies to take bets in Missouri once certified.

Other books including BetMGM, BetRivers and Underdog likewise announced launch strategies. Bet365 struck a handle MLB's St. Louis Cardinals and also prepares to accept bets in the state.

Caesars, which opposed the tally measure over license allotment issues, runs 3 Missouri casinos and is eligible to launch its online book in the state. Penn Entertainment (ESPN BET) and Bally's (Bally Bet) also run Missouri casinos that approve them instant market gain access to.

Other books including Acid rock, live in Illinois, sports betting could also pursue among roughly two-dozen prospective Missouri sports betting licenses.

The broader array of Show Me State wagering alternatives might attract Kansas gamblers in the Kansas City city area to Missouri to put bets, reversing years of wagerer traffic going the opposite direction. This could accelerate if the Sunflower State cuts its sportsbook lineup, particularly if DraftKings and/or FanDuel can no longer accept bets.
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Missouri citizens in the Kansas City metro were the most ardent supporters of the sports wagering tally step, which could highlight residents' interest in positioning bets in their home state when books go live.

Missouri's sports wagering lineup is uncertain ahead of the 2025 launch. Kansas' sportsbooks might change too in the ensuing years.