Missouri sports betting gamblers have crossed into Kansas for sports betting almost 3 years to position legal sports betting bets. Three years from now, Kansas locals may do the exact same.

Key takeaways
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- Kansas lawmakers stopped new sportsbook license extensions until 2026, hinting at possible regulative changes that could impact its six legal operators after 2027.
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- Missouri is set to release legal mobile sportsbooks in late 2025, possibly reversing cross-border betting patterns as Kansas wagerers may head east.
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- Future changes in Kansas might consist of a sole-operator model or tax hikes, affecting competitors and motivating wagerers to look for alternatives in Missouri.
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Kansas sports betting wagering background
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Kansas launched its first legal mobile sportsbooks in 2022. Six books now take bets: BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, ESPN BET, Fanatics and FanDuel.

The ability to place legal bets in Kansas attracts wagerers on the Missouri side of the Kansas City city area to Kansas to bet, with some doing so most or almost every day of the week.

That could alter if Kansas lawmakers upend the current regulatory structure. Sources inform Covers some legislators desire to increase the state's sports wagering tax profits, among the least expensive per capita of any of the 30 states with statewide legal mobile sportsbooks.

Kansas' most likely reconsideration of its six-book legal sports wagering market next year will come after Missouri goes live with as many as a lots books; if Kansas drastically curtails its offerings, it could lead KS wagerers to position bets in MO, the reverse of the current pattern

The modifications could be as simple as a tax boost. It might also lead to a sole-source operator design some legislators are considering, one that might create more direct revenue for the state but potentially require out some or all of the six existing sportsbooks as soon as their licenses end in Aug. 2027.

The legislation passed earlier this month just places a prohibition up until 2026, indicating Kansas' existing sportsbooks can take bets until their licenses end the following year. Lawmakers might not even consider a significant change to the regulatory structure when they reconvene for the 2026 session, meaning no perceptible impact for Sunflower State bettors.

But the license extension restriction leaves the possibility for remarkable changes that didn't seem possible weeks ago.

Missouri sportsbooks prepare to release

The Kansas relocation comes as Missouri nears the launch of its legal sportsbooks.

Missouri's multi-year sports betting legalization push ended in Nov. 2024, when citizens narrowly authorized a tally procedure to bring legal retail and online sportsbooks to the state. The vote followed years of failed efforts to legalize sports wagering in the legislature.

Missouri's legal sportsbooks are set to begin taking bets in the fourth quarter of 2025. There are also set to be nearly twice as many betting options in Missouri as Kansas.

FanDuel and DraftKings contributed more than $30 million to support the tally measure. The two U.S. market share leaders have, as anticipated, announced plans to take bets in Missouri as soon as licensed.

Other books including BetMGM, BetRivers and Underdog also announced launch plans. Bet365 struck a handle MLB's St. Louis Cardinals and likewise plans to accept bets in the state.

Caesars, which opposed the tally procedure over license allowance concerns, operates 3 establishments and is eligible to release its online book in the state. Penn Entertainment (ESPN BET) and Bally's (Bally Bet) also operate Missouri casinos that grant them instant market access.

Other books consisting of Hard Rock, live in Illinois, could likewise pursue among approximately two-dozen potential Missouri sports wagering licenses.

The broader variety of Show Me State betting alternatives might attract Kansas gamblers in the Kansas City metro area to Missouri to place bets, reversing years of gambler traffic going the opposite direction. This might speed up if the Sunflower State reduces its sportsbook lineup, particularly if DraftKings and/or FanDuel can no longer accept bets.

Missouri voters in the Kansas City city were the most ardent advocates of the sports betting wagering ballot procedure, which might highlight homeowners' interest in putting bets in their home state once books go live.

Missouri's sports betting lineup is uncertain ahead of the 2025 launch. Kansas' sportsbooks could change too in the occurring years.