The state of Kansas witnessed a significant increase in sports wagering for the month of March, with betting handles soaring to $252.9 million, marking a 28.4% rise from the $197.0 million recorded in March of the previous year. Additionally, it represented a 24.6% increase from February’s figures this year, and was only marginally short, by 3.1%, of the state’s all-time high of $260.9 million set in November 2022.
A vast majority of the March bets were placed online, totaling $243.2 million, while retail sportsbooks in Kansas accounted for $9.7 million. Despite the impressive handle, revenue for operators stood at $7.1 million, which, although reduced by 22.0% from the $9.1 million generated the same month last year, still outpaced February’s revenue by a striking 129.0%, which had amounted to just $3.1 million.
In a surprising twist, retail sportsbooks did not contribute to any of the revenue in March, with all earnings being exclusively derived from online bets. The state benefited as well, collecting $714,697 in taxes from sports wagering activities within the month.
DraftKings, in partnership with Boot Hill Casino, once again led the online market in Kansas. They remained the frontrunners, garnering $4.7 million in revenue off $98.3 million in bets during March. Trailing behind, but still performing strongly, was the team of FanDuel and Kansas Star, which netted $2.2 million in revenue from $70.2 million in bet totals.
Once more, the duo of Caesar’s and Kansas Crossing was the only other partnership to record revenue in March, though they only brought in a modest $257,071 from a $11.9 million handle. Interestingly, two other partnerships processed larger betting handles than Caesars and Kansas Crossing but did not report any revenue. Kansas Crossing teamed up with BetMGM to handle a notable $42.7 million, whereas Hollywood partnered with ESPN Bet to tackle $17.9 million in wagers.
The Kansas betting landscape saw a reshuffling with Fanatics stepping in, taking the place of PointsBet as the third partner for Kansas Crossing in March. Their nascent collaboration saw $1.3 million wagered by players.
Taking a broader view of the year to date, the total amount wagered in Kansas right up to the end of March has reached a staggering $1.86 billion. From this colossal figure, online betting accounted for the lion’s share, amounting to $1.78 billion, as brick-and-mortar retail betting trailed with $83.3 million. Revenue-wise, the total for the period stood at $87.6 million, with online platforms contributing an overwhelming $83.1 million, while retail sportsbooks contributed a remaining $4.5 million.
This boom in sports betting within Kansas points to a robustly growing market, one that has adapted rapidly with a strong inclination towards online wagering. The significant volumes processed by the partnerships between powerhouse operators and local casinos demonstrate the effectiveness of online platforms in attracting and maintaining a significant betting customer base.
The statistics for March alone have set the stage for what could be another record-breaking year for sports betting in Kansas. It remains to be seen if this uptrend will continue, but for now, stakeholders will be closely watching the market dynamics as new partners enter the fray and the industry continues to evolve.
