The governor for the state of Kansas has reportedly announced that the jurisdiction could launch online and retail sportsbetting by as soon as September after local lawmakers passed enabling legislation in April.

According to a Monday report from the Kansas Reflector news organization, the revelation from Governor Laura Kelly (pictured) comes as the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission detailed that it intends to present its inaugural set of rules during a July 22 meeting. The regulator purportedly explained that these regulations will lay out exactly how it intends to receive, consider and approve sports wagering licenses in partnership with the Kansas Lottery.

Online opportunities:

Kansas has a population of slightly less than three million people and the legislation officially signed into law by the Democratic governor in May will reportedly allow individuals over the age of 21 to place wagers on a wide range of professional and collegiate sports using a plethora of mobile devices. The measure is to purportedly furthermore permit such aficionados to lodge in-person bets at up to 50 retail locations alongside sportsbooks situated within the state’s four commercial casinos, which encompass the Kansas Star Casino, Boot Hill Casino and Resort, Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway and Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel.

Aboriginal allowance:

The Kansas Reflector reported that all sports wagering activities in ‘The Sunflower State’ are to be regulated by the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission and Kansas Lottery with online and retail operations being obliged to partner with established sportsbetting firms such as DraftKings Incorporated or FanDuel Group. Kelly purportedly noted that the jurisdiction’s quartet of federally-recognized tribes will moreover be able to get in on the act so long as they agree to new or updated gaming compacts.

Enticement endowment:

In exchange for being allowed to offer sportsbetting in Kansas and the legislation is to purportedly see operators required to pay a 10% handle tax. The source reported that 80% of any resultant public revenues are to then be placed into a special fund to help bring professional sports franchises to the Midwestern state with the nearby Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL) a prime target.

Insufficient income:

However, Kelly reportedly poured cold water on the prospects of an NFL side relocating to Kansas while promoting the legislation’s establishment of a white-collar crime fund to assist those suffering from an addiction to gambling. The 72-year-old nevertheless purportedly asserted that legalized sportsbetting could be up and running by the time the Chiefs’ first home game kicks off on September 16.

Kelly reportedly stated…

“I have never approached the Chiefs, nor has anybody in my administration. Quite honestly, the amount of money that this bill would generate and put into that fund would not come close to being what you would need to be able to attract a major league team. We’re not going to be balancing the budget on the revenues coming in from sportsbetting but every little bit helps. It allows us to do things like fully fund our schools, fully fund our roads and expand broadband.”