A Senate committee on February 17 approved a sports betting bill in Kansas, one that authorizes statewide mobile wagering on sports and operation of sportsbooks at each of the four casinos.
The state would apply a tax rate of 10 percent on revenue from online wagering and 7.5 percent for revenue in the brick-and-mortar casinos.
The bill currently does not require casinos to buy sports data from the NFL, NBA or other professional leagues, according to CJOnline.com.
Casinos would have to retain for at least 60 days information on people who bet more than $1,200 in a 24-hour period. Revenue from sports betting would provide $800,000 to support resumption of horse racing at Eureka Downs, $750,000 for white-collar crime investigations and cash for college scholarships.
“I think we’ve probably ridden this horse long enough,” said State Senator Bud Estes, chairman of the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee. “This should bring a little bit more money into the state treasury.”
The Senate committee discussed a proposal by Senator Rob Olson to mandate the casinos buy official sports information from the professional leagues.
“To me,” Olson said, “I’d rather see official data. I know the casinos don’t like this piece.”
But Senator Jeff Longbine said such contracts would make the leagues business partners of the casinos and, by extension, the state.
Estes, the committee chairman, said forcing casinos to purchase data from the leagues was equivalent to “throwing the fox in the hen house.”
Olson also failed to convince lawmakers on the committee to give professional sports leagues the authority to advise the Kansas Lottery on what type of bets related to specific elements of a game would be allowed.
The Kansas Lottery would have oversight of sports gambling but the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission also would be involved.
A rival sports betting bill in the House would allow as many as 1,200 licensed retailers to participate in sports wagering.
Rep. John Barker, chairman of the House Federal and State Affairs Committee, said his bill would enable operators of defunct dog racing tracks in Kansas to engage in sports betting if those facilities reopened.
