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The nation’s leading online sportsbook is wasting no time on trying to become the dominant force in yet another state. FanDuel Sportsbook is one of six sports betting apps that plan to start taking bets in Kansas on Thursday, Sept. 1.
Kansans near the Kansas Star Casino can not only take the app for a spin but visit one of the state’s newest retail sports betting locations starting Thursday afternoon as well. These are the first of what should be many more launches to come over the following weeks in the Sunflower State.
FanDuel Sportsbook launching at high noon
Kansas is known for the role that Dodge City played in the westward expansion of the United States and appropriately, high noon (12 p.m. Central Time) is when FanDuel says it will open up its sports betting app for people in the state. A press release from FanDuel states that its apps on both Android and iOS platforms will start taking wagers in Kansas at that time.
According to Legal Sports Report, FanDuel has the greatest nationwide share of the market for online sports betting in the US. FanDuel controls around 45% of the market in of bets placed, with competitors like BetMGM, Caesars, and DraftKings splitting the other 55% between them.
Those competitors comprise other brands that plan to take their apps live in Kansas on Thursday as well. Besides them, Barstool Sportsbook and PointsBet Sportsbook also have Thursday in their sights for launch in Kansas.
State law allows for legal online sports betting in Kansas only via a licensed sportsbook that has a partnership with one of the state’s casinos. FanDuel has wasted no time in starting to capitalize on its collaboration with a casino in Kansas.
Kansas Star Casino will start taking bets Thursday, too
FanDuel’s release states that a temporary retail sportsbook inside the Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane will start taking bets on Thursday at noon local time as well. Construction on the book’s permanent location within the casino is ongoing.
FanDuel plans to hold a grand opening ceremony on Sept. 8 at 10 a.m. local time. Former Kansas State football player Jordy Nelson will be on hand for that ceremony. Otherwise, the physical sportsbook inside the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway plans to open on Thursday as well.
Plans for in-person wagering at Boot Hill Casino & Resort and Kansas Crossing Casino are still tentative. Legal Sports Report states the DraftKings book at Boot Hill will open in October. For Kansas Crossing, the branding of the book and potential opening date are still unknown. That casino has partnerships with BetMGM, Caesars, and PointsBet.
This is one of the fastest transitions from legalization to launch in US gambling history. It remains to be seen whether that speed will have any adverse effects.
Kansas raced to beat the clock in 2022
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed the bill enabling this gambling expansion just about four months ago. Since then, the state’s gambling regulators have been busy approving rules and reviewing license applications.
The Kansas Lottery announced Sept. 1 as the first permissible date for legal sports betting just two weeks ago. At the time, the state’s attorney general had yet to approve the regulations and some licensing matters were still pending.
There was a clear incentive for the quick turnaround; the start of football season. While the Kansas Jayhawks are not a big draw for football action, the Kansas State Wildcats have some modicum of success in the sport and despite the fact that the Kansas City Chiefs play their home games in Missouri, the club is still a popular one in the state.
The proximity of Kansas City, Missouri to the state border is another motivation. It’s a strong possibility that many Missourians will make the short trip across the state line to place legal bets. Sports betting remains illegal in Missouri.
A possible concern with that short time frame is whether the state properly ensured operators are ready to comply with standards and whether necessary resources are in place for handling the expansion responsibly. Kansas law makes provisions for responsible gambling, such as a self-exclusion program and allocation of revenue for problem gambling treatment.
All in all, though, it’s too early to tell whether the rush was the right move. FanDuel Sportsbook and others are literally just getting started.
