Kansas Might Not Be Ready for Sports Betting By Football Season
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Launching in time for the start of the NFL season has been a point of emphasis with states attempting to go live with their new sports betting markets. But in Kansas, it remains uncertain if that deadline will be met.
Speaking with BetKansas.com, Todd Allen, the director of wagering for the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission mentioned the agency’s members did not vote on draft regulations for the rollout of betting. The delay could cause the Kansas sports betting launch to get pushed back.
The next KRGC board meeting won’t take place until Aug. 12, while the NFL starts its regular season on Sept. 8 when the Los Angeles Rams host the Buffalo Bills, leaving the KRGC under a month to establish the rules and regulations necessary to launch sports betting.
The Bills are currently one-point favorites over the Rams at DraftKings Sportsbook, with both teams at –110 on the moneyline.
The KRGC and the Kansas Lottery are tasked with overseeing the launch of the new sportsbook apps in the state. They could decide to go with temporary regulations the commission’s board approves, but testing and licensing requirements would still need to be completed in time before the apps could go live.
“Stranger things have happened, right?” Allen told BetKansas.com about meeting the Sept. 8 deadline. “There are just a lot of other processes that have to take place before we can get up and running. I don’t know where the Kansas Lottery is, but they have to finalize contracts with our lottery gaming facility managers.
“So, all those interactive sports wagering platforms, all the equipment kiosks, all that'll have to go through independent test labs and have letters certifying that the equipment’s ready to go.”
Launching Before the Kansas City Chiefs Debut
One of the main interests of the state’s residents is whether sports betting will be ready to go when the Kansas City Chiefs start its season against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 11. The Chiefs are currently three-point favorites over the Cardinals and -164 on the moneyline at FanDuel Sportsbook.
But first, the KRGC and the Kansas Lottery have to agree upon a target launch date and work together to meet said date.
“We're kind of a two-agency state, with the lottery being more of the owner-operator and us being more the regulator,” Allen said. “But we'll have to work together on where we feel we're both at, agency-wise and things that need to be accomplished, so we can work towards a date that we feel would be feasible for everybody.
“And while we want to try to hurry and get up and running, to have wagers at some point during this NFL season, our goal still remains the same that we have to uphold the integrity of not only gaming, but also sports wagering in Kansas. And we want to make sure that when that product comes out to the patron, that it's going to be an honest product and that the state of Kansas can be proud of it.”
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