Kansas Sports Betting: Sportsbooks for Sept. 1 Launch Announced

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Kansas Sports Betting: Sportsbooks for Sept. 1 Launch Announced

The Kansas Lottery has released the list of online bookmakers whose mobile apps will go live when Kansas sports betting starts Thursday at noon.

The online bookmakers set to launch on Sept. 1 are Barstool Sportsbook Kansas, BetMGM Kansas Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook Kansas, DraftKings Kansas, FanDuel Kansas Sportsbook and PointsBet Kansas, according to the Kansas Lottery.

The four state-owned casinos have partnered with online operators in making mobile apps available to bettors. 

The casinos are:

  • Hollywood Casino at the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City (Barstool Sportsbook Kansas)
  • Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane (FanDuel Kansas Sportsbook)
  • Boot Hill Casino & Resort in Dodge City (DraftKings Kansas)
  • Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel in Pittsburg (BetMGM Kansas Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook Kansas, PointsBet Kansas)

Bets also can be placed in person at casino sportsbooks. The Hollywood and Kansas Star casinos will have in-person and mobile betting available on Sept. 1.

At Boot Hill and Kansas Crossing, the start date for in-person sports betting will be announced in the near future, according to the Kansas Lottery. Meanwhile, bettors can visit these casinos and use a mobile app to wager on sporting events.

NFL Regular Season Opens Sept. 8

Sports betting in Kansas will launch in time for the start of the NFL regular season. On a weekly basis, NFL games are traditionally the most heavily wagered events in the country. 

The Sept. 8 Thursday night season opener features the Buffalo Bills traveling to Southern California to face the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams. 

At Caesars Sportsbook, the Bills are favored by 2.5 points. The Over/Under is 52 combined points.

Soft Launch is Sept. 1; What is that?

In recently announcing the start of sports betting across the state, Kansas Lottery Executive Director Stephen Durrell said Sept. 1 is  a "soft launch" date. He said the "full launch" begins Sept. 8.

To clarify the difference between the soft and full launches, the Kansas Lottery said in an email the Sept. 1 soft launch “is just a way to give our casino partners and their platforms a chance to get up and running, start taking bets, etc., before the official start of the professional football season.”

The purpose of the soft launch is to make sure “everything is safe, secure, and functional for our players,” the email reads. 

“It’s just like when a new business opens a week before their grand opening, giving them a chance to operate in a live environment while still having time to adjust and adapt to any unforeseen issues,” the Kansas Lottery email states.

Governor Signs Sports Betting Into Law

In May, Gov. Laura Kelly signed legislation legalizing sports betting. The bill she signed into law expanded the Kansas Lottery Act of 2007 to include mobile and on-site casino sports betting.

With the launch in Kansas next week, sports betting will be legal and live in 31 states and Washington, D.C. It is legal but not operational in five other states.