Sports betting begins in Kansas. Will it help Gov. Kelly in a tough reelection fight?
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Sports betting in Kansas
Gambling on sports begins in Kansas on Sept. 1. Here’s what to know about how, when and where to place your bets.
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As the launch of legal sports betting arrives in Kansas, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has moved to capitalize on the bipartisan support for wagering amid a tough reelection challenge from Republican nominee Derek Schmidt, the state attorney general.
Kelly signed legislation authorizing sports betting in May, then in August publicly announced gambling would begin Sept. 1, in time for the start of the NFL’s regular season. She is set to appear at Hollywood Casino in Kansas City, Kansas on Thursday.
Kelly’s allies are positioning sports betting as an issue of fun and freedom that could bring millions in revenue a year into the state.
“Sports are fun. People need to have a good time, they just want to have a good time,” said state Rep. Stephanie Clayton, an Overland Park Democrat. “Everything has been awful and so, you know, they’re going to be supportive of the person that brought them that fun.”
But even as sports betting gives Kelly what appears to be a popular issue to promote, both Democrats and Republicans expressed skepticism that it would play a significant role in the governor’s race.
Wagering marks an achievement for Kelly to talk about ahead of the Nov. 8 election, they say, but voters are far more likely to cast their ballots based on a host of more significant factors, including jobs, inflation and the economy.
State Sen. Rob Olson, an Olathe Republican who helped spearhead the Kansas Senate’s authorization of sports betting, said credit for legalization is deserved “all around.” Still, he doesn’t begrudge Kelly claiming her share.
“I think when she signs a piece of legislation, it doesn’t matter what it is, I think she has a right to take credit, too,” Olson said.
Kelly has long anticipated a difficult race as the only Democratic governor up for reelection in a state won by former President Donald Trump. At the same time, no incumbent Kansas governor has won reelection while their party controlled the White House since 1968.
Christopher Reeves, a former Kansas Democratic national committeeman, said sports betting wouldn’t significantly help or harm Kelly. He predicted, half-jokingly, “it will help her more if the Chiefs are winning on a roll.”
Bob Beatty, a political science professor at Washburn University in Topeka, said sports betting fits into Kelly’s larger reelection narrative of a governor “working for everybody” and focused on bringing jobs and tax revenue into the state.
“Anything that can be added to that narrative is a plus for her,” Beatty said.
In a statement, Schmidt campaign manager C.J. Grover said Schmidt appreciated Republican lawmakers led by House Speaker Ron Ryckman, an Olathe Republican, for “forging a reasonable path forward to legalize, regulate, and help taxpayers benefit from betting that was to an extent already happening.”
Grover in his statement also included the number of a hotline and website for individuals struggling with gambling.
“No thanks to Governor Kelly, who has politicized and nearly derailed the entire rollout, Kansas will soon join several other states in the region and around the country who allow some form of retail or online sports wagering,” Grover said.
Kelly’s campaign said the governor has always placed “good policy over politics,” adding that sports betting will bring revenue into the state. The new law directs most of the revenue generated by sports betting into a fund that will be used to attract professional sports teams to Kansas.
“Sports betting was one of the Governor’s many bipartisan bills that passed this session; it will help casinos, restaurants, and other entertainment venues attract more business to their establishments,” Kelly campaign spokesperson Lauren Fitzgerald said in a statement.
“This is a common-sense, pro-business solution that will keep Kansans’ money – in Kansas. And the Governor is willing to bet on that. Go Chiefs!”
Schmidt hasn’t made sports betting a central issue in his campaign. But soon after Kelly announced the launch date for sports betting last month, Schmidt’s office told reporters it had found significant legal issues in regulations proposed by the Kansas Lottery, which plays a role overseeing sports betting.
Kelly’s chief of staff sent a letter to Schmidt questioning the public disclosure, but Schmidt’s office responded by emphasizing the need for transparency. The Kansas Lottery, which is led by an executive director and commissioners appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate, modified its proposed rules to address the concerns, clearing the way for betting to begin this week.
Sports betting officially kicked off Thursday online in Kansas, as well as in person at the Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane and the Hollywood Casino. Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Dodge City and Kansas Crossing Casino will also eventually offer in-person betting, the Kansas Lottery has said.
The launch was the culmination of four years of negotiations among Kansas legislators over what form legal betting would take. The proposal that passed this spring, which included the fund to attract professional sports teams, led to speculation that Kansas was making a play to lure the Kansas City Chiefs from Missouri but that scenario now appears unlikely.
The legislation scrambled typical partisan divides, with both Republicans and Democrats supporting – as well as opposing – the measure. The unusual divisions suggests Kelly’s role in sports betting could prove attractive to some Republicans – or annoy some Democrats.
State Rep. Steve Huebert, a Valley Center Republican who voted against the measure, predicted sports betting wouldn’t move many votes. He credited Kelly’s promotion of sports betting to a desire to avoid talking about her decisions during the pandemic and other elements of her record.
“I don’t think it’s a huge issue in the governor’s race,” Huebert said of sports betting.
But state Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau, a Wichita Democrat who was on the conference committee that negotiated the final deal, emphasized sports betting’s bipartisan appeal.
“Of course, when you’re doing something good that people want, it’s always a benefit,” Faust-Goudeau said.
This story was originally published September 1, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
