Missouri sports wagerers have crossed into Kansas for nearly 3 years to position legal sports bets. Three years from now, Kansas residents might do the very same.

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

- Missouri is set to launch legal mobile sportsbooks in late 2025, potentially reversing cross-border wagering trends as Kansas wagerers might head east.

- Future changes in Kansas might include a sole-operator design or sports betting tax walkings, affecting competition and motivating bettors to look for alternatives in Missouri.
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Kansas sports wagering background

Kansas released 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 gamblers 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.

That could change if Kansas lawmakers upend the current regulatory structure. Sources tell Covers some lawmakers want to increase the state's sports betting wagering tax earnings, amongst 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 live with as many as a lots books; if Kansas dramatically reduces its offerings, it could lead KS wagerers to position bets in MO, the reverse of the existing pattern

The alterations could be as simple as a tax increase. It might also lead to a sole-source operator model some legislators are thinking about, one that might produce more direct income for the state however potentially force out some or all of the 6 existing sportsbooks when their licenses end in Aug. 2027.

The legislation passed previously this month just positions a restriction up until 2026, indicating Kansas' existing sportsbooks can take bets up until their licenses expire the list below year. Lawmakers may not even consider a significant modification to the regulative structure when they reconvene for the 2026 session, suggesting no perceptible effect for Sunflower State wagerers.
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But the license extension prohibition leaves the possibility for remarkable modifications that didn't appear practical weeks ago.

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 voters narrowly approved a tally measure to bring legal retail and online sportsbooks to the state. The vote followed years of failed efforts to legislate sports wagering in the legislature.

Missouri's legal sportsbooks are set to start taking bets in the 4th quarter of 2025. There are likewise set to be nearly twice as numerous betting choices in Missouri as Kansas.

FanDuel and DraftKings contributed more than $30 million to support the ballot measure. The two U.S. market share leaders have, sports betting as anticipated, revealed strategies to take bets in Missouri once accredited.

Other books consisting of BetMGM, BetRivers and Underdog likewise revealed launch strategies. Bet365 struck a handle MLB's St. Louis Cardinals and likewise prepares to accept bets in the state.
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Caesars, which opposed the tally step over license allocation concerns, operates 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 grant them instant market gain access to.

Other books consisting of Hard Rock, live in Illinois, might also pursue one of roughly two-dozen possible Missouri sports betting licenses.

The broader variety of Show Me State wagering choices could attract Kansas gamblers in the Kansas City metro area to Missouri to put bets, reversing years of bettor traffic going the opposite instructions. This might accelerate if the State cuts its sportsbook roster, particularly if DraftKings and/or FanDuel can no longer accept bets.
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Missouri voters in the Kansas City city were the most ardent fans of the sports betting tally measure, which could underscore homeowners' interest in putting bets in their home state when books go live.

Missouri's sports betting lineup is unpredictable ahead of the 2025 launch. Kansas' sportsbooks might alter too in the occurring years.
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