With a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision now out of the way, sports wagering is expected to move toward the top of the Kansas Legislature’s agenda next session.
And that means the next Kansas governor will play an important role in deciding whether Kansans will get to bet on sports and just how that will be implemented.
Most of the candidates seem supportive although to varying degrees. Some were more explicit in their support than others. Only Republican Jim Barnett wouldn’t take a position.
The issue is important in the governor’s race because leading lawmakers already want to push ahead with a study in the coming months that might help bring some consensus to a complex issue that potentially pits major leagues sports against the state’s casinos.
Millions of dollars in revenue will be at stake and states across the country are expected to rush to tap into a new money source that will help fund government without turning to taxpayers for more.
Five states — Mississippi, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and West Virginia — have already passed legislation authorizing sports wagering. They are considered to be among the places where sports betting will be allowed by the time the NFL season starts this fall. Bills were introduced in 14 other states, including Kansas and Missouri.
Five bills were filed in the Kansas Legislature this year, but they idled in committee all session since lawmakers were uncertain whether the court would give states the right to decide sports gambling on their own.
The question now facing the gubernatorial candidates is how they would deal with sports betting if they’re elected. It stands to bring in millions of dollars in new revenue to the state, although the exact amount is subject to debate.
There are, however, a number of complex issues that will need to be worked out, including whether the sports leagues should get a take from the gambling revenue with a so-called integrity fee, as well as where sports betting would be permitted across the state.
Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach and Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer offered the clearest positions on the GOP side. Democrat Josh Svaty is generally supportive but emphasized that it depends on how it’s taxed.
Republican Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer said he wants to work with all parties on a resolution but didn’t specifically say whether he would sign legislation authorizing sports betting. Democratic state Sen. Laura Kelly wants the Legislature to study the issue before next session.
Kobach, who is generally unabashed on most issues, was very supportive of the court’s decision. He called it a big win for state rights and wrote a column for Breitbart about the court’s decision from last week.
“If the legislature decides to authorize sports gambling, I would be willing to sign the bill, provided that it was well-drafted and mitigated concerns associated with sports gambling,” Kobach said in an email.
Kobach said the concerns that would need to be addressed include ways to deal with gambling addiction and preventing corruption.
Selzer offered a similar view.
“Generally speaking, I would be supportive of an appropriately controlled sports-betting industry,” Selzer said.
He added that he would like to explore how Nevada has dealt with sports gambling and what might be done to limit addiction.
The governor issued a statement that stopped short of stating where he stood on sports gambling.
“I look forward to working with legislators and all parties involved to come to a resolution that will work for Kansans,” Colyer said in the statement.
Svaty emphasized the importance of making sure the state sets up a tax structure to ensure that it gets its fair share of the revenue pie, an issue that could center on whether the professional sports leagues get a cut of the revenue.
“Conceptually, am I against sports gaming? I personally don’t do it. But if the Supreme Court says it’s OK, then the Supreme Court’s spoken,” Svaty said. “But before we sign any bill, we’ve got to make sure the state would get its appropriate share of revenue.”
Kelly, the Democratic state senator from Topeka, wants the Legislature to study the issue further before moving ahead.
“If done correctly, legalizing sports betting could bring it out of the shadows, ensure proper oversight, and benefit Kansans by creating a revenue stream to fund roads, schools and other vital services,” she said in a statement.
Carl Brewer, the former Democratic mayor of Wichita, said it was “reasonable” to let states decide sports betting on their own. He said he would sign a bill allowing sports betting so long as the individuals with interest in the sport — such as athletes and team owners — were prohibited from betting.
Barnett, the former state senator from Emporia, was the most succinct in his view on betting.
“I would have to review the bill, before stating an answer.”
