Missouri sports betting bettors have crossed into Kansas for nearly three years to put legal sports bets. Three years from now, might do the very same.

Key takeaways

- Kansas lawmakers stopped new sportsbook license extensions until 2026, hinting at possible regulatory changes that might impact 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 bettors may head east.

- Future changes in Kansas could include a sole-operator design or tax hikes, affecting competitors and encouraging gamblers to look for options in Missouri.

Kansas sports betting background

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

The ability to put legal bets in Kansas attracts bettors on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metro area to Kansas to bet, with some doing so most or nearly every day of the week.
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That might alter if Kansas lawmakers upend the present 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.
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Kansas' likely reconsideration of its six-book legal sports wagering market next year will follow Missouri goes deal with as many as a lots books; if Kansas significantly curtails its offerings, it could lead KS bettors to place bets in MO, the reverse of the current pattern

The alterations might be as simple as a tax boost. It might likewise result in a sole-source operator model some legislators are considering, one that could generate more direct revenue for the state however possibly require out some or all of the six existing sportsbooks when their licenses end in Aug. 2027.

The legislation passed earlier this month just puts a restriction until 2026, indicating Kansas' current sportsbooks can take bets until their licenses expire the list below year. Lawmakers might not even think about a remarkable change to the regulative structure when they reconvene for the 2026 session, indicating no noticeable impact for Sunflower State gamblers.

But the license extension prohibition leaves the possibility for dramatic modifications that didn't appear practical weeks back.

Missouri sportsbooks prepare to introduce

The Kansas move comes as Missouri nears the launch of its legal sportsbooks.
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Missouri's multi-year sports wagering legalization push ended in Nov. 2024, when voters directly authorized a tally procedure to bring legal retail and online sportsbooks to the state. The vote followed years of failed efforts to legislate sports betting wagering in the legislature.

Missouri's legal sportsbooks are set to begin taking bets in the 4th quarter of 2025. There are likewise set to be almost two times as numerous wagering options in Missouri as Kansas.

FanDuel and DraftKings contributed more than $30 million to support the tally step. The two U.S. market share leaders have actually, as anticipated, revealed plans to take bets in Missouri once certified.
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Other books consisting of BetMGM, BetRivers and Underdog likewise revealed launch strategies. Bet365 struck an offer with MLB's St. Louis Cardinals and likewise prepares to accept bets in the state.

Caesars, which opposed the tally measure over license allotment concerns, operates three Missouri casinos and is eligible to introduce its online book in the state. Penn Entertainment (ESPN BET) and Bally's (Bally Bet) also run Missouri gambling establishments that give them instant market access.
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Other books including Acid rock, sports betting reside in Illinois, might also pursue one of approximately two-dozen possible Missouri sports betting wagering licenses.

The broader range of Show Me State betting options might bring in Kansas bettors in the Kansas City city area to Missouri to position bets, reversing years of bettor traffic going the opposite direction. This could accelerate if the Sunflower State reduces its sportsbook lineup, sports betting specifically if DraftKings and/or FanDuel can no longer accept bets.

Missouri voters in the Kansas City city were the most ardent fans of the sports betting wagering ballot procedure, which might highlight residents' interest in putting bets in their home state once books go live.

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