On May 12, 2022, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly signed S.B. 84 legalizing retail and online sports betting throughout the state. The newly-enacted law represents a compromise between the “single operator” and “free market” frameworks adopted in many other states; it gives the Kansas State Lottery (the Lottery) exclusive ownership and control of retail and online sports betting, but provides that the state’s four commercial casinos shall conduct sports betting operations on the Lottery’s behalf.
In addition to legalizing sports betting, the new law is designed to further the state’s efforts to secure a professional sports franchise, allocating a significant percentage of net betting revenue to a fund established for that very purpose. continue reading