The Kansas House recently approved the sports betting bill SB 84 in an 88-36 vote. The bill now heads to a House-Senate conference committee, then the final version of the bill will go to Governor Laura Kelly for her signature. The Senate passed SB 84 last year, which allows the state’s four casinos retail and online wagering with three skins each.
The new House proposal also includes marketing agreements between casinos and local retailers. In addition, a casino operator may request an additional skin in partnership with a Kansas-based professional sports team.
Sen. Rob Olson is set to lead the charge to legalize sports betting from the Senate side. The Topeka Capital-Journal listed sports betting among the top six legislative issues in Kansas heading into the 2022 session.
State Rep. John Barker, chairman of the Federal and State Affairs Committee, said the two chambers will need to agree to a tax rate compromise. The House proposal taxes retail sports betting at 14 percent and online at 20 percent; the Senate bill includes a 5.5 percent tax on retail and 8 percent on online.
The House version also requires 2 percent of sports betting revenue to go toward the state’s problem gambling fund.
In addition, legislators will have to agree on allowing sportsbooks deduct revenue tied to free play bets from their taxable revenue. The House version would not allow it but the Senate’s bill would.
Barker said his bill would raise an estimated $6 million to $10 million in annual tax revenue. “This has been a good debate that has been ongoing for years. It’s nice to pass this,” Barker said.
