A Native American tribe is on track to become the first to offer sports betting in Kansas at its casino resort after lawmakers approved a resolution that updates its gaming compact.
The new compact would allow Prairie Band Casino to offer sports wagering on-site or through partnerships with apps by the end of the summer. However, people using the apps would only be allowed to bet on the tribe’s reservation.
The Senate voted 27-8 to approve SR 1725. It amends the gaming sports wagering compact with the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. The House voted 93-27 to approve their own version of the resolution, HR 6026 to finalize the Legislature’s approval of the agreement.
The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and Governor Laura Kelly’s chief of staff requested the change. Both parties have been discussing a compact amendment since Kansas legalized sports betting last year.
Prairie Band Casino to Offer Sports Betting
Zach Pahmahmie, Tribal Counsel Vice Chair told KSNT news, “Our original gaming compacts did not permit the nation, or all four tribes in the state of Kansas were prohibited in actually taking part in sports wagering, so the very fundamental step moving forward was to change the language in the original compact to of course permit that.”
Gov. Kelly promptly approved the bill. The governor and tribe then submitted their contract to the legislature for ratification. The agreement was passed by both the Senate and the House on the last day of Kansas’ legislative session and now puts Prairie Band Casino & Resort on track to offer sports betting as soon as this football season starts.
How Does Kansas Sports Betting Law Change?
Under the Kansas sports betting law, tribes in Kansas can provide sports betting through an online platform, with the same terms as commercial casinos in the state. However, in Kansas, the state owns four casinos and hires commercial companies to run them.
For sports betting, the Kansas Lottery provides betting through a platform managed by a business entity. The tribes would have to follow the same system as commercial casinos, unlike Michigan and Connecticut, where tribes offer online gaming throughout the state through commercial agreements with the state.
The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation thinks of itself as a sovereign government and wanted to offer online sports betting under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). However, the law previously stated that sports betting couldn’t go beyond the boundaries of the compacting tribe’s Indian lands.
It included this language: “No compact … shall include sports wagering beyond the boundaries of the compacting tribe’s Indian lands.” This caused problems for tribes, but a correction under HB 2058 changed everything. It removed that language from the Kansas sports betting law, allowing tribes and the state to go ahead with statewide online sports betting.
Casino Managers On-Board With the Change
Initially, casino managers had some concerns, including:
- Tribes would be exempt from the 10% tax, putting casino operators at a competitive disadvantage.
- Tribes would not be subject to the same state regulations that limit the number of games and bets available.
- Eliminating the provision that all sports wagering beyond Indian territory is owned and controlled by the state would violate the Kansas Constitution.
Nevertheless, the casinos eventually abandoned their objections after the Prairie Band committed to keeping the games and betting offered in accordance with the terms of the agreement and any tribe that wants to conduct online sports betting in Kansas will be disadvantaged. They’ll be entering an established market that already has the leading online sportsbook operators.
Therefore, the path is clearing but the race isn’t over yet.
*Bookmakers Review will continue to follow this developing story.
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