Kansas Tribe to Become First in State to Offer Sports Betting 

Posted on: June 9, 2023, 02:30h. 

Last updated on: June 9, 2023, 02:30h.

Nick Juliano Read More

Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Legislation.

The Prairie Band Casino and Resort is set to become the first tribal casino in Kansas to offer sports betting, aiming to launch the new sportsbook by the end of this year.

The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation voted to approve a Tribal-State Gaming Compact that lays the groundwork for an on-site sportsbook at its casino on tribal land in Mayetta, Kansas, about 25 miles north of Topeka.

As a result of our extensive research, we’ve found a place for Prairie Band Sportsbook in the sports betting market,” General Manager Bill Marsh said in a press release.

Prairie Band Casino and Resort opened in 1998 as the first full-service casino in Kansas, and it features 1,200 slot machines, 25 table games, a 400-seat bingo hall, and dining and other amenities. It is one of four tribal casinos in Kansas, along with facilities operated by the Iowa Tribe, Kickapoo Tribe and Sac & Fox Nation.

Partnering with the ‘World’s Leading Odds Provider’

“We are partnering with the world’s leading odds provider and others to give our guests the finest sports betting experience,” Director of Gaming Chris Garrow said in the news release. The release did not specify the identity of the tribe’s partner, and a representative for the tribe did not immediately respond to a follow-up request for additional details.

Garrow said the casino aims to open its sportsbook in the fourth quarter of this year.

We have been doing free-to-play pick’em challenges for some time, and the results have been extremely positive. We’ve offered our guests and team members free jackpot pick’em challenges for the Big Game and the NCAA basketball tournament, with potential prizes ranging from $100,000 up to $1,000,000,” Garrow added.

Sports betting kiosks will be distributed throughout the casino and sportsbook, and customers will be eligible for loyalty rewards similar to those available for slots, table games and bingo, according to Garrow.

Kansas Sports Betting Legalization 

Sports betting has been available in Kansas since September 2022 from operators including Barstool Sportsbook, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, FanDuel, and PointsBet.

In April, the most recent month for which data is available, sportsbooks in Kansas settled nearly $133 million worth of wagers and took in more than $9 million in revenue, with the state receiving $919,720, according to the Kansas Lottery Commission.

Since sports betting became legal last year, operators have settled nearly $1.5 billion in wagers and earned $45.5 million in revenue. The state’s share of the proceeds has totaled $4.5 million.

Kansas legalized sports betting a few years after neighboring Colorado but ahead of its other border states. Sports betting remains illegal in Missouri and Oklahoma, and while it is legal in Nebraska, it is not yet operational, according to the American Gaming Association.