Online sports betting in Kansas set for September 1st launch date

Luke Lindholm

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Luke Lindholm is the Managing Editor of US Media Partnerships for Spotlight Sports Group (SSG) and is living in Boston, Massachusetts. Luke has been handicapping NCAAF and Soccer for more than five years and loves sharing knowledge with other knowledgeable handicappers in the sports betting industry. For Luke Lindholm media enquiries, please email contact@pickswise.com.

Is sports betting legal in Kansas?

In short: Yes, it is.

After Gov. Laura Kelly signed the sports betting legislation into law on May 12, Kansas legalized sports betting on July 1, 2022. The Attorney General signed off on the necessary regulations on August 25, 2022, and the official soft launch is September 1, 2022. The official launch is set for September 8, 2022, when you and any other Kansas residents can legally wager on sports events.

There are offline sportsbooks set to open at Kansas Star Casino and Hollywood Casino, and six online sportsbooks will partner with offline casinos in the future. All-in-all, 12 total sportsbooks are allowed to enter the state, although the final slots will be determined in the coming months.

Where can I bet on sports in Kansas?

There are currently four casinos in Kansas, and each will have the opportunity to partner with up to three online sportsbooks. That means you, the consumer, will be provided with a range of online options to choose from.

Each online option will offer new user and pre-registration bonuses, as well. You, the consumer, might be overwhelmed with the range of options and high-value bonuses available, but we’ll cover your options so you can claim the best offer.

These four will partner with up to three of the six online sportsbook sites approved by the law. Those online sites include:

DraftKings Sportsbook
FanDuel Sportsbook
BetMGM Sportsbook
Caesars Sportsbook
PointsBet Sportsbook
Bally Bet Sportsbook
Barstool Sportsbook

The four offline casinos offering sports gambling include:

Hollywood Casinos at Kansas Speedway
Kansas Star Casino
Boot Hill Casino & Resort
Kansas Crossing Casino & Hotel

Best online Kansas sports betting sites

There are plenty of options to pick from, but we believe these three online sportsbooks are the highest-quality books with the best online offers.

DraftKings Sportsbook

DraftKings is the second largest online sportsbook in the country by handle. It started in the Daily Fantasy Sports industry but quickly moved into the sportsbook industry.

DraftKings offers the most diverse range of betting markets in the space. It’s revered for its clean online interface and easy-to-use mobile app. There are plenty of deposit and withdrawal options, and the customer service team is top-notch.

Moreover, DraftKings has a great pre-registration bonus for Kansas residents. If you pre-register for an online DraftKings Sportsbook account before the official launch on September 1, DraftKings will gift you a $100 free bonus once the site launches in the state.

FanDuel Sportsbook

FanDuel is the largest online sportsbook in the country. Like DraftKings, it started as a Daily Fantasy Sports operator before moving into the site. They now have the largest offering of sports wagering markets and propositional bets in the industry.

We love their same game parlay options, which allow you to combine multiple bets from a single game into one parlay for a massive payout. Moreover, FanDuel offers more alternate lines – for both point spreads, game totals and player props – than any sportsbook in the industry.

FanDuel has a similar pre-registration bonus to DraftKings. If you pre-register for an online FanDuel sportsbook account before Thursday’s launch date, you’ll immediately secure a $100 free bet alongside a $50 bonus to your account after the site goes live.

BetMGM Sportsbook

Branded “The King of Sportsbooks” for good reason, BetMGM is the cleanest online interface you’ll find in the market, and they’ve attracted the third largest user base in the country.

They offer Same-Game Parlays alongside other intriguing propositional bets. However, we particularly like their live-betting interface, which allows you to bet on sports games while they’re happening. They constantly update lines, which lets you bet on teams in-game once you know how each team is playing.

BetMGM has the best pre-registration bonus of any online sportsbook. If you pre-register for an online BetMGM account, the sportsbook will give you $200 in free bets as soon as the site launches. That means you’ll have a free $200 to spread out and place on as many wagers as you’d like. Whether you want to place all $200 on one bet or spread it out across eight different $25 bets, BetMGM gives you the highest amount of free plays for signing up.

Best online Kansas mobile apps

Each online sportsbook will provide a mobile app that you can wager on from your mobile device. Every app is solid, but there are three which we want to highlight.

FanDuel Sportsbook App

The FanDuel mobile app is every bit as good as the online site, if not better. It’s easier to navigate than the online site and allows you to quickly place wagers whenever you’re in a state where FanDuel is licensed.

The app makes it easy to navigate different betting markets – with each market being placed on a bar at the top of the app – and provides a button to see your open wagers. Moreover, it includes live betting updates directly underneath the games and updates those live lines constantly.

DraftKings Sportsbook App

The DraftKings app deservedly has a perfect five-star rating from the Apple App Store reviews..

It’s easy to navigate, gives you easy access to their casino offerings, and offers a social tab so you can communicate with other bettors on the wagers for the night’s slate.

BetMGM Sportsbook App

The BetMGM app is the most secure way to wager on sports, play online poker, and hit the mobile casino. Again, BetMGM is called “The King of Sportsbooks”, but they back it up with a clean and crisp mobile user interface.

BetMGM’s app has the widest variety of deposit and withdrawal options in the sports betting mobile app industry. The mobile app also offers early cash-outs on straight bets and parlays, as well as an “Edit My Bet” feature, which allows you to cash out a bet you placed and make a new wager on the same game.

When did Kansas sports betting become legal?

It’s been years in the making, but Kansas legislators finally agreed to legalize sports betting for Kansas residents.

The law has been in rotation for years. But Kansas’ Senate Bill 84 was finally approved 73 to 49 in the house earlier this year, and the senate subsequently approved the bill 21 to 13.

Gov. Kelly signed the bill on May 12, and the legislation became law on July 1. Of course, the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission had to hear guidelines, and Attorney General Derek Schmidt had to sign off on regulations.

While it briefly seemed unlikely that Schmidt would approve the regulations, which would’ve pushed the official launch back until early 2023, those issues were swiftly overcome. Schmidt signed off on the regulations on August 25, and the state planned to allow four offline casinos and six online sportsbooks to launch on September 1 – right before Week 1 of the NFL season.

How to bet on sports online in Kansas?

Betting on sports is relatively simple and we’ve summarized the process into four simple steps..

First, pick an offline or online sportsbook that meets your needs. While we recommended a few above, you really can’t go wrong with any of them. Decide what you value most between welcome offers, deposit/withdrawal methods, and user interfaces, and you can check out sportsbook reviews to understand these different issues.

Second, you’ll have to register for an account at the online sportsbook of your choice. Most online sportsbooks make it very simple, and Kansas allows you to register online instead of in person. Generally, you will need to provide simple details like your legal name, address, and social security number. Check each site for individual specifics, alongside our sportsbook reviews, which will help the registration process.

Third, you’ll have to build up a bankroll – or deposit money into your account. Most online sportsbooks have multiple options for depositing, including debit/credit card payments, online bank transfers, Venmo payments or physical checks.

If you wish to withdraw your funds, these online sportsbooks will offer payouts in the same method that you make deposits.

Finally, you’ll want to place some wagers. Each online sportsbook and app are slightly different, but the process is the same. You’ll select – or click – on a betting market on the website or in the app, and then enter how much you’d like to bet on that pick, whether that be $5, $10, $50, $100, et cetera.

The money will be automatically drawn out of your account. If your wager loses, you’ll have a lower bankroll. If your wager wins, you’ll be credited the amount of your initial wager and the profits from your bet.

Can you bet on sports in Kansas?

Once the Thursday soft launch happens and the subsequent full launch on September 8 occurs, you and every other Kansas resident will have full access to wager on sports legally in the state.

While there are several collegiates and professional teams in Kansas – most notably the University of Kansas and Kansas State University – there are almost no restrictions for betting on college sports. You will be able to wager on your favorite professional and collegiate sports teams in the state, no questions asked.

Moreover, casinos and online sportsbooks are beginning to set up kiosks at team facilities that will allow fans to place bets at the event.

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