Kansas House continue to consider sports betting bill
The Kansas state House could take up the sports betting bill again next week.
US.- Kansas House Federal and State Affairs Committee has held a hearing on HB 2740, which seeks to legalise online and retail sports betting. It is expected the lawmakers begin to work on the bill again Monday.
Rep. John Barker, chairman of the Federal and State Affairs Committee, said the committee would consider amendments and take action on the bill next week. If the House were to adopt the legislation, representatives would have to work out a deal with senators. A similar bill was introduced last year but failed.
The proposal intends to allow the Kansas Lottery to offer sports betting through one or more lottery gaming facility operators. Each lottery gaming facility manager would be limited to operating three interactive sportsbooks, while also being allowed to trade with one approved interactive sportsbook, subject to Kansas Lottery approval.
The state would get 20 per cent of revenue through online gambling and 14 per cent from in-person bets.
The proposal is supported by the state’s three commercial casinos, a tribal gaming entity, and other gaming interests in the state. The commercial casinos in Kansas are Boyd Gaming’s Kansas Star, Penn National Gaming’s Hollywood, and the Prairie Band Casino & Resort. The Golden Eagle is the tribal gaming venue.
Whitney Damron, a lobbyist for Hollywood Casino at the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, has estimated that regulated sports betting could generate $50m in annual receipts for the state.
