Kansas Sports Betting in 2026: Is It Legal, and What Are Your Options?

October 5, 2026

Last updated: October 5, 2026

Sports betting has been legal in Kansas since September 2022, and part of the state's revenue from it goes to a fund that will help pay for the Chiefs' planned $3B domed stadium in Wyandotte County, which is set to open for the 2031 season.

The state owns every sportsbook and runs them through the Kansas Lottery. The four state-owned casinos manage the books day to day, and the private apps operate under contracts with those casinos.

Kansas sports betting at a glance:

Legal? Yes, with bets taken from September 1, 2022. Regulator: the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission, with the Kansas Lottery running it for the state.
Legal sportsbooks: seven online apps under four casino managers, plus a retail book at each casino.
Minimum age: 21, and you have to be inside Kansas to bet on an app.
State share: 10% of sports wagering revenue, figured after promotional credits are subtracted.
Where the money goes: 80% of the state's share, after a first $750,000 to the White Collar Crime Fund, goes to the Attracting Professional Sports to Kansas Fund.
College betting: allowed, Kansas schools included.
Prediction markets: the Tenth Circuit, which covers Kansas, hasn't ruled on the merits.

Is Sports Betting Legal in Kansas?

Sports betting is legal in Kansas under SB 84, which lawmakers passed in 2022 and which took effect on July 1 that year, and the casinos were cleared to take bets from September 1. State law allows sports wagering only through the Kansas Lottery and the casino managers it contracts with, either in person or on approved apps.

You must be 21 and physically located in Kansas when you place a mobile wager, and the apps check your location before they accept a bet, but you don't have to be a Kansas resident.

The four casinos are Boot Hill in Dodge City, Kansas Star in Mulvane, Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas, and Kansas Crossing in Pittsburg, and each manager can use up to three online platforms. The Lottery's August 2026 report lists seven: DraftKings through Boot Hill, FanDuel and bet365 through Kansas Star, theScore Bet through Hollywood, and BetMGM, Caesars and Fanatics through Kansas Crossing.

Bettors placed $2.67B in settled wagers with Kansas books in fiscal 2026 (July 2025 through June 2026), and about 98% of that was online. DraftKings settled $62.5M of the $160.7M bet online in August, the most of any app.

Kansas allows betting on college sports, including the Jayhawks and the Wildcats, because the statute defines a sporting event as any professional or collegiate sport and makes no exception for in-state schools. Events where most participants are under 18 aren't included, and the Lottery can restrict specific events by notice to the casinos.

How Kansas Taxes Sports Betting

Each casino's management contract has to give the state 10% of sports wagering revenue. The statute defines that revenue as total wagers minus voided bets, federal excise tax, prizes, and "free plays or other promotional credits," so promotions come off the top before the state's cut is figured.

In fiscal 2026 the books reported $83.1M in promotional deductions against $177.3M in net revenue, and the state's share came to $17.7M; the $83.1M wasn't counted toward it.

Under state law, the first $750,000 of the state's share each year goes to the White Collar Crime Fund, and after that 2% goes to the Problem Gambling and Addictions Grant Fund and 80% goes to the Attracting Professional Sports to Kansas Fund, which the Secretary of Commerce can pledge toward bonds for a professional team's stadium. That fund is part of the Chiefs stadium deal announced in December 2025, which has a 60% public share paid through STAR bonds and the fund.

The Royals plan to stay in Missouri, with a new ballpark at Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri, targeted to open in 2030.

Kansas City and the State Line

Kansas City is split between two states, and a Kansas app accepts a wager only while you're inside Kansas. Missouri opened its own legal sportsbooks on December 1, 2025, and Arrowhead Stadium is on the Missouri side, so a bet placed at a Chiefs home game goes through a Missouri book.

Missouri's attorney general sent letters dated September 17, 2026, ordering six platforms, including Novig, to stop offering sports event contracts to Missouri residents without a license from the Missouri Gaming Commission.

How Prediction Markets Work

A prediction market matches your trade with another user's. You either take a price someone has already posted or post your own price for another user to accept, so the prices reflect what users are willing to trade at. A sportsbook earns its margin through the vig in each line. On a Jayhawks spread priced at -110 on both sides, a bettor needs to win 52.4% of the time to break even, compared with 50% at even money with no fee.

As of October 5, neither the Racing and Gaming Commission nor the attorney general had announced any action against these markets. Kansas's sports wagering law lists "exchange wagering" among the bet types the casino-run books can offer.

Kansas is in the Tenth Circuit, where the pending case comes from Utah. On August 4, 2026, a federal judge granted Utah summary judgment in KalshiEX v. Cox and held that Utah's gambling laws apply to Kalshi because the Commodity Exchange Act does not preempt them. Kalshi appealed, and on September 8 a two-judge panel denied its emergency request for an injunction while the appeal is pending, but the court hasn't yet ruled on the merits. In other circuits, the Third Circuit ruled for Kalshi on April 6, and the Ninth and Sixth Circuits ruled for the states on August 28 and September 25.

What to Look For When Comparing Options

Cost: compare the price of the same Chiefs pregame bet across the seven apps and the prediction markets. Novig charges no fee to either side of a pregame straight trade, and a resting order that fills costs its maker nothing.
Promotions: check the regular odds on a bet as well as the promotional offer, since the regular odds are what you pay after the credit is used up.
Line shopping: seven apps split the Kansas market, and DraftKings and FanDuel took 74% of August's online handle, so compare their prices against the other five and against prediction markets.
Location: Kansas apps require you to be in Kansas when you bet, and each prediction market applies its own location rules.
Age floor: 21 for Kansas sportsbooks; each prediction market sets its own.

How the Options Compare in Kansas

Platform	Type	Available in Kansas?	You bet against	Commission / fees	Minimum age
DraftKings / FanDuel	Sportsbooks (state-licensed)	Yes	The house	Vig	21+
BetMGM / Caesars / bet365 / Fanatics / theScore Bet	Sportsbooks (state-licensed)	Yes	The house	Vig	21+
Novig	Prediction market (CFTC)	Yes (21+)	Other players	Commission-free on pregame straight trades; taker fees on live, futures, and parlay trades; no maker fees	21+
Kalshi	Prediction market (event contracts, CFTC)	Check the platform	The market	Per-contract trading fees; check the current schedule	Check the platform
Polymarket	Prediction market (CFTC)	Check the platform	The market	Check the platform	Check the platform
ProphetX	Prediction market (CFTC)	Check the platform	Other players	Check the platform	Check the platform

Where DFS Stands in Kansas

Daily fantasy contests are legal in Kansas, where since 2015 the law has excluded fantasy sports leagues that meet its statutory definition from what counts as an illegal bet, and the sports wagering law leaves them out as well. Each platform sets its own age floor and contest rules, so check the one you're using.

What Comes Next

The Lottery's contracts with the casino managers expire in August 2027, so the list of Kansas apps could change after that. The Tenth Circuit's merits ruling in the Utah case will be the first appellate decision on preemption that binds federal courts in Kansas.

Kansas Sports Betting FAQ

Is sports betting legal in Kansas?

Yes, it's been legal since September 2022, and the state owns it through the Kansas Lottery, the four state-owned casinos manage it and the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission regulates it. You must be 21 and inside Kansas to bet online.

What sports betting apps are legal in Kansas?

Seven apps are legal in Kansas: DraftKings, FanDuel, bet365, theScore Bet, BetMGM, Caesars and Fanatics, each operating under one of the four casinos.

What is the sports betting tax rate in Kansas?

The state takes 10% of sports wagering revenue, which is counted after prizes, federal excise tax and promotional credits, and most of that share goes to the fund behind the Chiefs stadium deal.

Can I bet on the Jayhawks or K-State?

Yes, Kansas law covers collegiate sports and doesn't exclude in-state schools.

Can I use a Kansas app in Kansas City, Missouri?

No, a Kansas app accepts a wager only while you're physically in Kansas.

Are prediction markets legal in Kansas?

The Tenth Circuit, which covers Kansas, hasn't ruled on the merits of the preemption question, and Utah beat Kalshi at the district court level in August.

Is Novig available in Kansas?

Yes. Novig is available nationwide to users 21 and over, including in Kansas, and whether you can trade depends on where you are when you place the order. A pregame straight trade doesn't cost the buyer or the seller anything in fees, and you can post your own price for another user to take.

What's the difference between a prediction market and a sportsbook here?

The seven Kansas apps make their margin through the vig in the odds they set. A prediction market matches you with other users and lists any commission as a separate, posted fee.

Availability, features and terms vary by platform and can change. Check eligibility and the current rules before you play. Sports betting 21+; daily fantasy and prediction markets set their own floors by platform.

This page is general information, not legal advice.

Sources

LATEST ARTICLES

What States Is Novig Available In?

Novig is available nationwide except Arizona, Nevada, and Michigan. If you're 21+ and physically located in an eligible state or Washington, DC, you can trade — residency isn't required.

October 8, 2026READ FULL ARTICLE

Week 5 NFL Odds 2026: Tyson Bagent Starts for the Bears at Lambeau, and Why Novig Beats the Books

Compare Week 5 NFL odds for every game, including spreads, totals, moneylines and Novig vs. DraftKings pricing.

October 8, 2026READ FULL ARTICLE

Utah Sports Betting in 2026: Is It Legal, and What Are Your Options?

Utah has no legal sportsbooks, casinos, or lottery in 2026, and the state says sports prediction markets are illegal gambling. See the law, DFS status, court fight, and current options.

October 5, 2026READ FULL ARTICLE

BROWSE ALL ARTICLES