Kansas Lottery not sure what to expect with NCAA gambling

TOPEKA (KSNT) — The NCAA tournament is back. For the first time, Kansans can legally place bets without leaving the state.

Kansas sports wagering exploded in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. The Kansas Lottery is expecting another surge during March Madness. Kansas Lottery spokesman Cory Thone says KU’s and K-State’s appearances in this year’s NCAA tournament only add to the excitement.

“We are expecting, maybe we will see an engagement drop.” Thorne said. “We have KU and K-State, right there in the mix, both looking to make some deep runs. We really don’t know what to expect. We know it’ll be exciting. We know Kansas players are excited to transition into basketball.”

Thone says the Kansas Lottery can’t predict how much the state will earn from sports gambling this year. Those bets will be tallied over the coming weeks.

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The Kansas Lottery releases a monthly report of the state’s sports wagering revenue. That report is posted around the second week of each month.