Kansas becomes one of the biggest states for sports betting

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — With just over a year of sports gambling under its belt, Kansas is now one of the top states to make a bet on your favorite team.

Research from NoDepositRewards determined Kansas is the eighth largest state for sports betting.

The website reports Kansas has seen over $1.3 billion in wagers since sports betting started in 2022, making it equal to $601.53 per adult.

According to the Kansas Lottery, the state saw almost $6 million in revenue from all those wagers in the first year.

By comparison, New Jersey took the top spot on the list. Sports gambling has been legal there since 2018, and the state has seen $7.7 billion in bets. That’s a handle of $1,069.30 per capita.

It’s important to note: NoDepositRewards did not include Nevada in its ranking.

Although the state has a handle of $1,766.44 per capita, the website noted it was unable to determine how much of that was from gambling tourists in Las Vegas.

Here are the top 10 states for sports betting, according to NoDepositRewards:

New Jersey — $1,069.30 per capita

New York — $828.90 per capita

Colorado — $685 per capita

Illinois — $678.53

Arizona — $677.27

Iowa — $643.27

Maryland — $627.55

Kansas — $601.53

Massachusetts — $550.26

Indiana — $549.36

The outlet analyzed statewide sports gambling figures up to July 2023 to determine how much has been wagered per capita in every state. The American Gaming Association says sports betting is legal in 37 states and Washington, D.C.

From just January to July this year, Americans have bet over $59 billion. It’s a 176% increase from the wagers made in all of 2020, according to NoDepositRewards.

“Sports betting has been growing exponentially in America since its legalization in many states. In just 2 years, wagers have gone from $21 billion in 2020 to $85 billion in 2022,” Mason Jones from the outlet said.

Meanwhile, across the state line in Missouri, sports betting is still illegal.

Missouri lawmakers have tried to pass legislation for several years now but haven’t been able to get a bill to the governor’s desk. This year, Senate leaders blamed one lawmaker for blocking the bill.

With Missouri playing a losing hand, the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals are now considering putting a question on the ballot and letting Missouri voters decide.

Lawmakers, meanwhile, said they plan to file sports betting legislation again next session to try to find a compromise.