Around the Horn – Sports Betting News from Ohio and Kansas

With so much sports betting activity going on in the U.S. here in December, let’s take a look at what is going on in Ohio and Kansas.

Kroger to Delay Sports Betting Kiosks as Ohio Prepares for January 1 Sports Betting Launch

At this point, Ohio residents are sitting on pins and needles in anticipation of the sports betting launch that is slated to begin on January 1, 2022. The Ohio sports betting community is filled with retail and online sports betting operators that are currently putting the finishing touches on their Ohio sports betting operations.

One of the great things about the Ohio sports betting legislation is that it gives independent businesses an opportunity to apply for licenses to run retail sports betting kiosks. The success of this option is clearly indicated by the fact that over 900 said licenses have been issued. One of the big retailers to apply for and receive said licensing is Kroger, the grocery store conglomerate.

Initial indications were that Kroger would be running sports betting kiosks at 42 of their retail groceries throughout the state of Ohio. News has recently been put out that while the retailer still plans to move forward, they will not be ready to do so by the January 1 launch date. This is disappointing news in cities like Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton, all cities that support Kroger’s operations.

The company has stated that they have not yet completed their due diligence, something they want to do before moving forward. More news on the Kroger front is expected in the coming weeks.

Kansas Already Looking to Alter Sports Betting Legislation

In an effort to beat neighboring Missouri to the punch, Kansas passed its sports betting legislation and went forward with the launch within the last couple of months. By all indications, sports betting in Kansas has been an undeniable success based on betting handle, though the handle has been low due to the success of gamblers over the last two months.

However, not everyone is satisfied with the legislation. At the time the legislation was passed, there was a provision in Bill 84 that called for 80% of the state’s tax revenue raised from sports betting operations would go into a special fund.

The Attracting Professional Sports to Kansas Fund is to be designated towards drawing other pro sports franchises to Kansas. Most people believe that the target of this fund is an attempt to draw the Kansas City Chiefs away from Missouri.

At this point, Governor Laura Kelly has mentioned she would like to revisit the bill, though why is not really clear. It’s notable that her thoughts are in direct contrast with newly elected House Speaker Dan Hawkins, who has clearly stated that he can’t see a viable reason for revisiting the legislation so early in the game.