Kansas Senator Proposes Bill to Legalize Kansas Sports Betting Through Lottery Tax Act
Kansas state Senator Rob Olson recently introduced a sports betting bill that would amend the state’s Lottery Tax Act. If the proposal passes into law, it would legalize Kansas sports betting by way of the Lottery Tax Act. Though the state passed similar legislation last year in the Senate, the legislation did not make it through the House.
Kansas Wants to Join the Sports Betting Frenzy
Kansas, one of the most politically red states in the country, might soon legalize sports gambling in a roundabout way. Though the state’s government is dominated by political conservatives, it appears as though momentum is building for the legalization of Kansas sports betting. Senator Rob Olson’s Senate Bill 84, also referred to as SB 84, is written with language that adds legal sports wagering to the state’s Lottery Tax Act, setting the stage for 100% legal sports gambling on mobile devices and also in-person at traditional sportsbooks.
The Kansas sports betting market would be regulated and taxed. The proceeds of the taxes would be distributed to residents of the states in both direct and indirect manners by way of state government programs. If Kansas sports betting is legalized, it will be a major victory for those interested in sports gambling investing.
Olson’s Bill Stresses Mobile Betting
Olson’s proposed bill highlights the need to provide sports gamblers with access to wagering through mobile devices. Olson has gone out of his way to stress the fact that wagering on the internet is the future of the industry. Olson recently gave an interview with local media, stating the option to wager on mobile devices through an app will attract and retain the business of sports gamblers who do not want to make the trek to a casino sportsbook for in-person betting. The addition of mobile betting to the bill makes it quite the significant upgrade of prior legislation.
Kansas is Steadily Making Progress Toward Sports Gambling Legalization
Previous attempts to legalize sports gambling were made in Kansas. However, the proposed legislation did not emerge from the state’s Congress. A bill proposed in 2020 stalled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. A 2021 sports gambling bill didn’t make it through the House.
Senator Olson’s new bill has the potential to pass as members of both chambers have had that much more time to familiarize themselves with the wording of the proposed legislation. Furthermore, Kansas legislators have observed other states implement sports betting in a seamless manner without suffering moral decay on a society-wide level.
Kansas is Poised to Eliminate the Black Market of Sports Gambling
Another part of the reason why Kansas is likely to legalize sports gambling is that the state isn’t collecting a cut of the sports wagers made through black market bookies. Shady street bookies and unregulated offshore internet sportsbooks are raking in the cash while Kansas doesn’t receive a penny of tax revenue from the activity.
In some cases, Kansas residents are crossing state borders to gamble in neighboring states, ultimately financing their governmental programs through tax proceeds stemming from sports gambling transactions.
More than 30 states have launched legal sports gambling markets after the overturning of PASPA merely four years ago. The primary benefit of legalizing sports wagering is the generation of tax dollars used for the greater good. Fast forward a couple months into the future and Kansas just might be the latest state to legalize sports gambling.
