The opening stretch of sports betting in Kansas seems to have lived up to the billing, with more than 2.4 million wagers placed in the state between Sept. 1 and Sept. 11.
The Kansas Lottery reported an overall handle of more than $47 million during the opening week-and-a-half of wagering in the Sunflower State. That’s more handle than eight legal betting states had in the entire month of September 2021.
Kansas sports betting apps went live via a “soft launch” Sept. 1, with the market celebrating its grand opening Sept. 8.
Though no specific data was given about the wager totals from any of the state’s four casinos, we do know Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway and their primary sports betting partner, Barstool Sportsbook Kansas, broke Penn Gaming’s record for a new property opening.
Here’s what else stood out from the lottery’s report on the opening 10 days of sports betting in Kansas:
What to Know About the Kansas Launch Report
According to Cory Thone, who serves as the lottery’s public information officer, the top teams during the opening stretch in September were the Kansas City Chiefs and the Royals, followed by Kansas State and KU.
The Chiefs rewarded fans’ NFL sports betting interest, shellacking the Arizona Cardinals, 44-21, in their Week 1 game Sept. 11.
The Royals, on the other hand, had little success during the first two weeks of September, going 4-6 during that timeframe.
The Wildcats and Jayhawks have had disparate results on the gridiron this season, with K-State beating South Dakota (34-0) and Missouri (40-12), before falling to Tulane (17-10) on Saturday. The Jayhawks, meanwhile, are off to their first 3-0 start in 13 years, coming off victories over Tennessee Tech (56-10), West Virginia (55-42), and Houston (48-30).
BetKansas.com is the place to be for the best Kansas sports betting promos during football season.
Thone said interest in NASCAR’s Hollywood Casino 400 at the Kansas City facility Sept. 11 helped put a fitting cap on the state’s launch, with strong interest from bettors across Kansas during the weekend of the race.
“Congratulations to all of the winners,” Thone said in an emailed statement. “The Kansas Lottery is excited to continue the growth and development of the Sports Betting platforms for Kansas players.”
