PointsBet announced on Tuesday it will be one of the initial sportsbooks participating in tomorrow's soft launch for sports betting in Kansas.
The Australian-based company was awarded provisional certification by the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission, with final approval expected before Thursday, when the state will offer both online sports betting and retail sports wagering.
The company has entered into a primary skin agreement with Kansas Crossing Casino, marking the 11th U.S. state where PointsBet has a presence. The others are Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia — plus Ontario, Canada.
With the "official" full launch of legal sports betting in the state set for Sept. 8, PointsBet Group CEO and managing director Sam Swanell said in a press release that the timing couldn’t be better.
"We are excited to be launching on the starting line and having our outstanding sportsbook product available to the people of Kansas from day one," Swanell said. "With NFL season kicking off... the timing is perfect to showcase our NFL in-play betting capabilities in particular."
Crowded market
In addition to PointsBet, Kansas Crossing Casino will also partner with BetMGM and Caesars for online betting. Caesars will also operate a retail sportsbook inside the casino but no plans have been announced on when it will open.
In addition to PointsBet, BetMGM, and Caesars, three others — DraftKings, Barstool Sportsbook, and FanDuel — are expected to launch operations on Thursday.
FOX Bet has partnered with Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway, while Bally Bet and Golden Nugget have aligned with Boot Hill Casino, but they aren't expected to be ready for the Sept. 1 soft launch.
Some of the companies are also planning on opening retail sportsbooks. DraftKings has plans to open a retail sportsbook at Boot Hill, although officials said only a temporary facility will be open in October, while Barstool will have a facility at Kansas Speedway and FanDuel also announced today it will be in the Kansas Star Casino for launch day.
Delay averted
The state legislature approved sports betting in May, with Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signing it into law on May 12, 2022. The law went into effect on July 1 and it was on track to be one of the quickest launches in the country.
It hit a snag, however, on Aug. 20 when Attorney General Derek Schmidt rejected several wagering-related regulations, saying they needed to be fixed before he could approve the soft launch.
"The attorney general’s office has completed its expedited, but thorough, review of the several proposed regulations from the Kansas Lottery related to sports wagering and has approved three of those regulations and returned the others to the Kansas Lottery identifying specific shortcomings that must be remedied," said John Milburn, public information officer for the AG’s office, in a statement. "We look forward to the Lottery quickly resolving these legal problems and resubmitting the regulations."
A week later, the regulations were sent back to Schmidt’s office and were approved — four days before Thursday’s soft launch.
