Kansas to Legalize Sports Betting
Residents of the state of Kansas have a cause for celebration.
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly tweeted Thursday that four state-owned casinos within the state will be permitted to accept sports bets commencing Sept. 1.
The announcement comes just weeks ahead of the start of the football season and will thus give sports fans in the state the opportunity to wager on all NFL games this season which kicks off Sept. 8. Fans of NCAA college football, who find Alabama as the betting favorite to win the national championship at +190 odds at SI Sportsbook, will now have the opportunity to wager on action from the collegiate gridiron.
“My constituents need fun. They need something that’s fun,” state representative Stephanie Clayton, who helped legalize sports betting in the state, told the Kansas City Star. “They deserve it, God knows they’ve earned it.”
Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Indeed, fun is what Kansas residents will experience as they are afforded the option to make investments on sporting events as an alternative to a more volatile stock market.
It is still unclear exactly how the generated revenue will be dispersed by the state. However, there have been rumors that the additional state income could be used to lure professional sports teams to the state with no MLB, NFL or NBA team in the state. Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer plays in Kansas City, Kan.
Both the Royals and Chiefs call nearby Kansas City, Mo. their home.
As outlined by the American Gaming Association, sports betting is legal in 30 states and six more states (including Kansas) are working to become fully operational. Massachusetts is poised to become the 31st state to legalize sports betting.
The desire for state officials across the country to pass legislation legalizing sports betting is strongly supported by the staggering monthly sports wagering revenue reports. Last month, New York’s reported sports betting handle led the country and surpassed $1 billion for the sixth consecutive month.
Frankie Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program ever offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Frankie is SI Betting's Senior Analyst and provides his significant experience and resources in the sports betting scene. You can follow Frankie on Twitter @Frankie_Fantasy for his latest betting and fantasy insights from Las Vegas.
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