How gambling industry lobbyists made legal sports betting a reality in Kansas

By Steve Kraske,

Published November 28, 2022 at 2:29 PM CST

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Behind a black ribbon guiding the line, a man in jeans and a black t-shirt stands at a wood-paneled counter. Behind the counter are men in red shirts in front of TVs displaying odds on different games. Above them is a lit sign that says "Barstool Sportsbook." — Kansas became the 34th state in the country to legalize sports betting earlier this year.

To expand sports betting across the U.S., gambling industry lobbyists used questionable arguments and lavished gifts and donations on state lawmakers — notably in Kansas. Meanwhile, the taxable revenue from those sports bets has nearly disappeared.

A recent story from The New York Times examines the dramatic expansion of legalized sports betting throughout the country, and focused specifically on how gambling industry lobbyists used questionable arguments and lavished gifts and donations on state lawmakers — notably in Kansas.

In the Sunflower State, that included a dramatic cut to the state's share of sports betting revenue from the original plan of 20% down to 10%. There's also a provision in the bill for sports betting companies like FanDuel and DraftKings to deduct the free bets they often give away to first-time costumers.

As a result, the taxable revenue nearly completely disappeared, as the state brought in only $271,000 in taxes on $350 million in bets.

Lipton joined KCUR's Up To Date to discuss the landscape of sports betting lobbying in the U.S. and specifics on the bill Kansas lawmakers passed earlier this year.

Eric Lipton, investigative reporter for The New York Times