Legal sports betting options are slowly sweeping through the Midwest, making for a busy fall track and field season. Kansas and Nebraska are just the latest states to authorize domestic sportsbook operations. Still, it doesn’t seem like they’re too late to join the party.
Kansas bets along the way
gov. Laura Kelly expects a fast Kansas Sportsbook Start before the start of the NFL season in September. The new gambling laws allow the operation of both face-to-face and online sports betting.
But during a signing ceremony in June, Kelly told reporters that residents had more to look forward to than just placing bets.
Once the betting is live, twenty percent of all statutory state sports betting revenue are assigned to education and infrastructure programs. The remaining eighty percent of the collections will be used to recruit a second professional sports team for the state.
The governor was direct in that the funds generated from sports betting would not provide the necessary tools for a full budget overhaul. Still, Kelly has maintained that even the smallest additional dollar amounts can make a huge difference. She says,
“We’re not going to balance the budget with sports betting revenue, but every little bit helps. It allows us to fully fund our schools, fully fund our roads, and roll out broadband.”
Regulation is key
Gov. Laura Kelly’s ambitions for a September start will depend entirely on the cooperation of the Kansas Lottery and the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission (KRGC).
On its website, the KRGC actively conducts background checks on potential vendors while the Lottery works to draft state contracts.
The regulatory preparations appear to be going smoothly. Still, a September start would be exceptionally fast for Kansas by national standards. And speed doesn’t always mean efficiency.
Nebraska betting falls short
to the north, Legal sports betting in Nebraska will not be nearly as extensive as the operations in Kansas. Cornhusker state residents will be limited to retail-only betting when sports betting finally hits the market.
Nonetheless, income from personal bets will benefit the community. With operator tax rates set at twenty percent, lawmakers look forward to putting the dollars generated to good use.
Seventy percent of all sports betting revenue is used to fund the state’s property tax breaks. 25 percent of these funds end up directly in the hands of local governments.
The remaining five percent is split evenly between the state’s general fund and problem gambling programs.
A year of crickets
It comes as a surprise to most that Nebraska has not yet hosted its official sports betting launch. The state has been working on regulatory agreements and operator guidelines for the past year.
Given the small scale at which the state plans to roll out its legal framework for sports betting, such lengthy delays have become unreasonable.
We hope Nebraska residents won’t have to wait much longer before placing bets in the state. In the meantime, bettors have a wide range of reputable offshore sportsbooks to choose from.
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Sources: Kansas reflector, Lincoln Journal Star