The Kansas Senate passed the SB 283 by a vote of 23-15 that will legalize land-based and certain forms of online sports betting in the US state. The bill is set to move forward to the state’s House of Representatives for further debate and discussion.
Introduced in January by the Senate’s Committee on Federal and State Affairs, the bill set out measures to permit casinos already licensed by the Kansas Lottery Commission to launch on-premises sports betting and offer two online betting skins.
The casinos that offer land-based sports betting would be taxed at a rate of 7.5%, while the state would also place a 10% tax on revenue from online sports bets.
The lottery will create an online betting product of its own if no or just one operator will create an online product in two years.
Kansas Lottery Commission will decide at a later time how much licenses would cost and it would also set out rules for advertising related to sports betting in the state.
Sporting venues across the state would be permitted to enter into a contract with a licensed operator to set up a location at their venue.
Licensees may also create “a designated area where patrons may engage in sports wagering” inside a sports venue, but only via online platforms. However, it specifies that this only applies to motorsports or multi-sport facilities Wyandotte county with a minimum investment of $50m.
In addition, the bills sets out measures for tribal sports betting, whereby if a federally recognized Indian tribe submits a request to negotiate a gaming compact regarding sports wagering, the Governor must “negotiate in good faith” to enter into a such a compact.
