According to the Kansas Lottery, six of a potential 12 operators received the go-ahead to open mobile platforms September 1. Most operators also planned to have one platform run the retail element.
Hollywood Casino’s Barstool Sportsbook could be the lone retail operation expected to open. And that should be temporary, with 30 kiosks and five tellers at the casino in Kansas Speedway.
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly said a soft opening should give way to a full opening on September 8, which marks the start of the NFL regular season.
In addition to Hollywood Casino, each of the state-operated gaming halls— including Boot Hill Casino, Kansas Crossing Casino, and Kansas Star Casino—can offer retail and mobile sportsbooks. The mobile component can have as many as three digital platforms.
Besides the six approved to date, three others have filed for approval, according to Sports Handle.
Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Dodge City has partnered with Bally Bet, DraftKings, and Golden Nugget. Only DraftKings had approval to be live September 1. A temporary DraftKings retail sportsbook should open in October.
In addition to the retail component, Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway planned to offer mobile sports betting through Penn Entertainment’s Barstool Sports platform. FOX BET is also partnering with Hollywood Casino to offer mobile sports betting, but lacks approval yet.
Kansas Crossing Casino partnered with BetMGM, Caesars, and PointsBet for mobile betting, which could go live September 1. Caesars will operate a retail sportsbook at some point.
Kansas Star Casino offers retail and mobile sports betting through FanDuel, but only the mobile component will launch September 1.
In related news, two tribal-owned casinos in the state did not receive a license. Crosswinds Casino in Park City and the 7th Street Casino in Kansas City were not approved due to unrelated litigation with the state, according to the Wichita Business Journal.
“The state unfortunately has refused to negotiate in good faith with us, what they call a Class III gaming compact,” said Billy Friend, chief of the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma which owns the casinos. “Currently we’re using their resources to litigate against the Department of Interior about the status of our land.”
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt sued in 2020 to stop the U.S. Department of Interior from permitting the Wyandotte Nation to operate a casino in Sedgwick County, where slot machines and casino gaming are considered illegal unless federal law overrides the prohibition.
Friend said the case is ready for oral arguments in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.
Under legislation approved in May in Kansas, tribal casinos and venues such as restaurants and nonprofit fraternal or veterans organizations can apply for approval from the state. But the Kansas Lottery has not given a license to any but the four state-affiliated casinos.
“It’s proven to be profitable in other states where tribes have had access to it,” Friend said. “… It’s something that I think fulfills your portfolio of gaming if you have Class III gaming, Vegas-style gaming.“
Friend said he hopes to file papers with the feds by the end of this year.
The Crosswinds Casino opened in February 2021 in a 20,000 square-foot facility after initially operating temporarily in a mobile trailer.
“Since we opened in 2020, it’s exceeded our expectations,” Friend said. “Crosswinds has just been a great addition to our gaming.”
The Park City property is scheduled to be part of a larger development the tribal nation has planned there. The intention is to build a complete resort within the 130 acres they own. The resort will include a hotel with as many as 220 rooms, a spa and pool area.
The Wyandotte owns about 130 acres in the area with the goal of building a “complete casino-resort,” Friend said, including a hotel with around 180 to 220 rooms, restaurants, a spa and outdoor pool area.
