Kansas Casinos & Gambling Law

Kansas gaming insulated behind other US states in the region. Missouri, Iowa, Colorado, and Oklahoma already had casinos before Kansas inducted them into law. Kansas has three casinos that are run by the state lottery. There are also five Kansas Native USA casinos that are located on reservation land and are required to follow the same laws. However, don’t contribute to the state’s overall tax fund. Kansas also has a state lottery. Sales are however not legal online. Tickets can only be purchased at retailers, which are convenience stores. Kansas legalized racing including greyhound and horse racing. Neither run in the state though. Off-track gambling is legal, however, there are no venues for it except online. Kansas is one of two states that have specifically authorized daily fantasy sports.

Best Online Casinos USA

Kansas Casinos & Gambling Info

• Year Kansas Gambling has Regulated: Bingo (1974) Lottery (1986), Racing (1986), Casinos (2007)
• Estimated Tax Revenue: $130 million
• Estimated Gaming Revenue: $500 million
• Kansas Legal Gambling Age: 18 for lotteries, 21 for racing and casinos

Types of Online Gambling Allowed in Kansas

There are two kinds of internet gambling that is legal in Kansas. Off-track betting on horses and also greyhounds is legal. The action goes into pari-mutuel pools as they would at the track. This is the way to wager on greyhounds or horses in Kansas as there are no tracks that are open in the state. The other type of legal web gambling is fantasy sports. While there are questions about the daily fantasy sports, Kansas organized the general exception under the federal Unlawful Online Gambling Enforcement Act.

Popular Casino Games

• Slots
• Blackjack
• Poker
• Craps/Roulette
• Horses
• Lottery

Types of Live Gambling in Kansas

Lottery tickets can be bought at retailers via the state. Lotto’s and Scratch-off tickets are the kinds of sales allowed. These include state gambling games such as Pick 3, 2 by 2, and also Super Kansas Cash. Multi-state drawings come with Powerball and Mega Millions. Greyhound and Horse racing are also legal in Kansas. The state has no live tracks or racebooks currently.

There are eight casinos in Kansas that are currently run within the state. Five of them are Native US casinos. Three commercial Kansas casinos are controlled through a partnership with the Kansas Lottery. All games that one would find in Las Vegas are also legal in Kansas. This includes video poker, slots, craps, blackjack, roulette, live poker and also table games that use cards.

Kansas Bookmaking Laws

Kansas gambling laws and codes are very strict for activities that are not legalized through the state constitution. Unlike other states that only punish operatives, gamblers commit a crime if partaking in games of chance for cash. Charities are permitted to operate two types of games of chance under Kansas gaming laws. Bingo has been legal in Kansas for over 40 years. In 2014, voters went on to approved a constitutional modification that added raffles to the official list of charitable casino games.

The Racing Rise and Fall

Racing was approved via the constitutional amendment by voters. It went on to legalized horse and greyhound. This also legalized off-track racing. While horseracing and greyhound tracks are lawful, neither run today. The ratification of casinos finished off the gambling industry that was already dying. Off-track gambling is legal in Kansas, however, there are no facilities.

Lottery-Run Casinos

The state lottery was created on the same year as racing. It sells lotto tickets and scratch-off. The Kansas Lottery is not allowed to sell tickets online. The lottery must be rehabilitated every 15 years via legislation.

Casinos are also run by the state lottery. Gambling companies manage the casinos and get 73% of the win. Problem gambling services get 2% of the win. The local authority where the casino is based gets 3% of the revenue won by the gambling establishments.

Daily Fantasy Sports

Kansas is one of two states that passed daily fantasy sports law. Kansas copied the Illegal Online Gambling Enforcement Act’s language that relates to fantasy sports. State law needs lottery ticket purchasers and charitable gambling establishments to reject anybody under 18 years of age.

List of Kansas Casinos

Kansas Gambling History

The first step towards authorizing gambling in Kansas was a legitimate amendment to license bingo for charities. That happened in 1974. It was 12 years before the voters edited the constitution to enlarge gambling. That was to make a state lottery. Racing was legalized in the same referendum.

Woodlands Racetrack is the first in Kansas. Wichita Greyhound Park came second. However, they have both since been closed. The last race took place in 2010. Phil Ruffin, the owner of Treasure Island in Las Vegas, attained Woodlands Racetrack in 2015 with hopes that it could be revived. Ruffin is pushing a bill that would license the tracks to operate video poker and slots. Ruffin is the previous owner of the Wichita Greyhound Park. Efforts to legalize slots at racetracks and create casinos in Kansas began in the mid-1990s. Voters approved casinos in 2007. The state set up four units of the state for casinos. One casino is allowed in each.

More States Gambling Guides