DraftKings and Bally Bet are poised to launch online sports betting in Kansas after both brands tied up market access deals with Boot Hill Casino in Dodge City. Both mobile sports betting apps could be available for download in the Sunflower State in time for the new football season. They will await the green light from regulators, but officials expect it to be a quick and smooth process.
Last week, Kansas became the 35th state to legalize sports betting when Governor Laura Kelly signed SB 84 into law. The bill had passed both chambers in April. It allows each of the state’s four casinos to launch retail sportsbooks. They can each host three online skins too, paving the way for 12 online sportsbooks to compete for market share in Kansas.
The four retail casinos in the state are owned by the Kansas Lottery and regulated by the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission. That should ensure the legal sports betting industry launches without any notable delays. Boot Hill Casino said it aggressively pursued both DraftKings and Bally Bet for two of its three online skins. DraftKings will also build a retail sportsbook at the casino resort, located in the famous frontier town of the Old West.
Kansas Sports Betting Could be Available by Football Season
Clark Stewart, chief executive at Butler National Corporation, which manages Boot Hill, believes the mobile sports betting industry will be up and running in time for the upcoming NFL season. “We are hopeful to try to bring mobile sports betting to Kansans by football season,” he said. “Kansans should be proud of the cooperative efforts by Kansas Legislators, our Governor, government agencies and private businesses, like Butler National Corporation, to bring legalized sports betting to Kansas. We worked diligently to find partners that would bring Kansans a seamless, safe and premium sports betting experience. We are ready to work with DraftKings and Bally’s to make sports wagering available in Kansas.”
He hopes that the DraftKings retail sportsbook will drive more tourists into Kansas. Yet capturing a large share of the online market would be a far greater prize for DraftKings. “With the passage of mobile sports betting legislation in Kansas, DraftKings is excited for the opportunity to enter the state pending licensure and regulatory approvals,” said Griffin Finan, vice president for government affairs and associate general counsel for DraftKings. “Together with Boot Hill Casino & Resort, we look forward to engaging with Kansans and providing them with a world-class sports betting experience.”
Gov. Kelly said legalizing sports betting will boost the state’s revenue and grow its economy. Senators added that their constituents have been asking for a legal sports wagering industry for years. They went for a modest 10% tax rate, which should encourage operators to launch in the state.
Caesars Agrees Sports Betting Partnership with Indy 500
In other news, Caesars Sportsbook agreed a deal to become the official sports betting partner of
the Indy 500 and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The collaboration will include the opening of a Caesars retail sports betting lounge at “the racing capital of the world”. The Caesars Sportsbook Lounge at Pagoda Plaza will greet spectators on practice and race days. Anyone with a Caesars Sportsbook app will be invited in, allowing them to enjoy an elevated viewing experience, complimentary food and drink, live entertainment, racing games and branded giveaways.
Caesars Sportsbook unveiled a new welcome bonus to mark the deal. It will give $106 in free bets to anyone that signs up for an online sports betting account and makes a $20 deposit. The Caesars Rewards program will also now provide customers with exclusive, VUP speedway experiences at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Caesars already owns two casinos in the Hoosier State – Horseshoe Indianapolis and Harrah’s Hoosier Park. “The Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500 are iconic American sports traditions,” said Eric Hession, co-president of Caesars Digital. “Partnering with one of racing’s most iconic venues and ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ provides our customers with unique experiences through Caesars Rewards. This will be an impactful partnership for us that builds upon our commitment to the state of Indiana alongside the investments into our resorts and the communities they serve.”
Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles added: “We’re extremely excited about this partnership with Caesars and believe their on-site presence – which is a first for our storied facility – will give fans a new opportunity to engage with the on-track action at the Racing Capital of the World. This is another reason to look forward to an epic and historic Month of May at IMS.”
Ohio Sports Betting Unlikely to Begin Until Close to New Year’s Day
Anyone hoping that Ohio sports betting would be ready in time for the NFL season was left disappointed this week. The Buckeye State legalized sports wagering back in December 2021. The law stipulated that the industry must get underway no later than January 1, 2023, but regulators had indicated it could be ready by the fall. That will not be the case, according to an update from the Ohio Casino Control Commission.
“Given the intricacies of the rule making process in Ohio and the number of licenses and investigations that the commission must issue or undertake, the Universal Start Date is likely to be close to, if not exactly on, January 1, 2023,” the commission’s website now states.
Jessica Franks, the director of communications for the commission, added: “Ohio is undertaking the largest gaming expansion in its history and largest-ever simultaneous launch of sports gaming in the United States, with all eligible online applications, brick-and-mortar sportsbooks, and kiosks in bars and taverns eligible to start on the exact same date. This will necessitate the Commission to undertake due diligence investigations and ensure compliance requirements for approximately 3,000 applications in time for the Universal Start Date.”