Guide to Online Gambling in Kansas: The Best Kansas Gambling Sites for 2021
Gambling | Legal Since |
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Sports | Legal Since: 2018 |
Daily Fantasy | Legal Since: 2015 |
Casino | Legal Since: 2017 |
Poker | Legal Since: 2017 |
Lottery | Will Be Legal: TBD |
Kansas Daily Fantasy
All sports fans will be glad to know that Daily Fantasy Sports have been legal in Kansas since May 2015, when Governor Sam Brownback signed the bill HB 2155 and officially legalized them. Thus, nowadays all licensed Kansas daily fantasy operators are legally allowed to accept Kansan players.
- We have a deep understanding of the Kansas gambling laws and follow the changes in the legislation and the activity of the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission.
- We stay up to date with the latest gambling-related news and expected changes in the industry by following the biggest media like KSN.com and the The Wichita Eagle.
- We have extensive experience creating casino guides and reviews. We have written many popular articles such as A Guide to Blackjack and The Best Online Roulette Guide.
Gambling Laws in Kansas
When it comes to gambling, Kansas has demonstrated to have less restrictive laws compared to other states. Even though online gambling is illegal in the state, the residents and visitors of Kansas have a surprisingly high variety of legal gambling options such as tribal casinos, a few regulated casinos, where the state owns the casino games, slot machines at licensed racetrack facilities, lotteries, bingo, charitable raffles, horse racing, dog racing and pari-mutuel wagering on horse and dog races. Meanwhile, Kansas also takes illegal gambling activities seriously. They are considered Class B violations, and anyone involved in them could be sentenced to up to six months of imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000.00 or both. Nevertheless, anyone wishing to take part in an online gambling game could participate in any of the available Daily Fantasy contests, which were officially legalized in Kansas in May 2015. The legalization of sports betting is also currently being considered and if approved, it could be launched by the end of 2019.
Sports Betting in Kansas
Following the 2018 Supreme Court decision, which was in favor of New Jersey, all states are free to legalize sports betting shall they wish to do so. Various states have introduced legal and regulated sports gambling since then, while others are still working on its legalization. Sports betting in Kansas is still illegal but the state’s lawmakers are expected to introduce a legalization bill in the first half of 2019. If approved, sports fans might be able to make their first bets by the end of 2019. We have prepared much more details in our page about Kansas sports betting.
Online Casinos in Kansas
There are quite a few brick-and-mortar Kansas casinos that operate legally in the state. According to the state’s gambling laws, tribal casinos with certain types of games and several state-owned commercial casinos are currently allowed to operate in Kansas. Nevertheless, while Kansans might have land-based gambling options, the online casinos in the state are not exactly legal. In fact, Kansas has tried to suggest that they should be officially made illegal as they fall under the land-based rules, but the attempts have so far been unsuccessful. Thus, while online casinos are not allowed to operate within the state borders, some offshore casinos accept players from Kansas. Nevertheless, playing at offshore casino sites is highly inadvisable as they would be regulated by foreign authorities and your safety would not be guaranteed by the State of Kansas.
Online Poker in Kansas
While poker can be played legally in any of the licensed casinos within the state borders, online poker remains theoretically illegal in Kansas. As we mentioned above, the state’s attempt to outlaw online poker and online casinos failed, thus nowadays online poker resides in a legal gray area. Nevertheless, the operation of poker sites is not permitted within the state borders and while certain offshore poker operators might accept Kansan players, signing up to them is not recommendable. There are no expected changes to the gambling law, so the Kansans’ best option to play poker to visit a local licensed casino that offers the game.
Kansas Lottery
The Kansas Lottery has been officially legal and running since 1987 and so far, has produced hundreds of millions of dollars for the state. The lottery currently offers many different games, most of which successful. Lottery tickets can be bought from authorized retailers only and their online sale is unavailable. There is currently no online version of the Kansas Lottery and its launch in the near future is highly unlikely as there is no information that such a possibility has been discussed. We have covered this topic in greater detail in our Kansas lottery page.
History of Gambling in Kansas
The gambling industry in Kansas has gone through a lot of changes throughout the long history of the state. There is no doubt that a broader gambling industry would have been of great economic contribution to the state but even though Kansas has rather flexible gambling laws, many forms of betting are still not allowed. To help you gain a better understanding of the state’s gambling background, we have listed the most important moments of Kansas’ gambling history in the timetable below:
Year | Event |
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1974 | Bingo is legalized for charitable organizations under strict licenses. Years later, the law was amended to include instant bingo games. |
1986 | The Kansas State Lottery is legalized and officially launched. |
1987 | The Kansas Legislature passes the Kansas Pari-mutuel Racing Act. The Kansas Racing Commission is created in order to license and regulate horse racing, greyhound racing, and pari-mutuel wagering in Kansas. |
1995 | Four native tribes receive a permission to build casinos. All casinos are allowed to have Class 3 gaming, which includes slot machines, casino table games and poker. |
2007 | The Kansas Expanded Lottery Act enables the establishment of state-run casinos. |
2009 | Kansas’ Attorney General issues an official clarification, which suggest that online gambling should be considered illegal. |
2013 | Legal changes make gambling losses no longer tax-deductible in Kansas. |
2013 | A new bill aiming to expand land-based casino and to outlaw online gambling fails in Kansas. The bill also looked to ban slot machines from the racetracks. |
Kansas State Facts
Kansas is the 15th largest state in the US and is known for its jazz music, beef and rich natural resources. While Kansas is not among the richest states, its economy is continuously developing partially due to its petroleum and gas production. As we mentioned above, even though a regulated online gambling industry would have helped to strengthen the state’s economy, Kansas has so far restrained from its legalization. In order to exemplify the state’s current situation, we have listed the most important facts about Kansas in the table below:
Population | 2,913,123 |
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Min. Income | $1,256.67 |
Biggest Offline Gambling Location | Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel |
Gambling Commissioner | Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission |
Spoken Languages | English – 91.3%, Spanish – 5.5%, German – 0.7% |
Biggest Local Sports Team | Kansas City Chiefs |
Kansas Tax Authority | Kansas Department of Revenue |
Link to the State Law | http://www.kslegislature.org/li/ |
Gambling Winning Tax | 5% |
State Website Link | https://portal.kansas.gov/ |
Famous Local Gamblers | n/a |
Gambling Age in Kansas
The minimum gambling age in Kansas is 18 for lottery, raffle and bingo players. Meanwhile, all interested in participating in casino games or any other form of gambling must be at least 21 years old. Most casinos in the state have strict rules and policies aiming to prevent underage gambling. Any persons caught participating in underage gambling could be fined and prosecuted.
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Online Gambling Age:
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Drinking Age
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Weed Age
Responsible Gambling and Addiction Prevention
Kansas offers free treatment to all people suffering from gambling problems who reside in the state. The Kansas Responsible Gambling Alliance can help you find the best therapy and support group for you. If you need immediate assistance, you can call the Kansas Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. For more information, you can also turn to the Kansas Problem Gambling Services.
Upcoming Regulation and Expected Changes
While the legalization of online casinos and poker in Kansas seems highly improbable, there is a possibility that sports betting might become legal in 2019. According to our information, the state will re-introduce a sports betting legalization bill in the first quarter of 2019. If approved, sports betting might be officially launched in Kansas by the end of 2019. In the meantime, looking for an alternative? The Delaware lottery and its online equivalent are fully legalized and ready for everyone to take advantage of. You can find where to partake in legal forms of wagering at our legal US gambling sites overview.