Kansas sports betting doubled its tax revenue last month, as sportsbooks paid more to the state than they have over the last three months combined.
Kansas sportsbooks generated more than $1.03 million in taxes in December, moving the state’s haul since launching sports betting in September to $2.09 million, according to the Kansas Lottery.
It is the third straight month of momentum for Kansas sports betting taxes, which Gov. Laura Kelly recently suggested increasing or at least altering. Her comments came a month after Kansas lawmakers found themselves at the center of a New York Times investigative series into gaming lobbyists.
Promos nosedive after launch
While taxes soared, wagering and operator revenue both dropped modestly for the third straight month.
Sportsbooks held onto $10.3 million of the $181 million they handled in December.
It comes from less promos and free play. Sportsbooks deducted $6.7 million in promos and free play from their taxable revenue in December, an 80% drop from September when the state made just $140,000.
DraftKings leads KS sports betting
DraftKings led five online sportsbooks in handle with, $65 million or 38% of all bets in December, its fourth straight month leading the market.
The Boston-based operator also made more than twice as much in revenue as any other operator, while revenues for BetMGM and PointsBet were in the negative for the month.
| Operator | Handle | Market Share | Adjusted Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | $65 million | 38% | $5.68 million |
| FanDuel | $54.2 million | 31% | $2.24 million |
| BetMGM | $25.5 million | 15% | $0 |
| Barstool | $13.8 million | 8% | $1 million |
| Caesars | $9.6 million | 5.6% | $592,000 |
| PointsBet | $2.9 million | 1.7% | $0 |
Retail betting keeps climbing
Retail sportsbooks had another record month with $10.8 million in bets across the state’s three locations. It is the fourth month in a row Kansas increased in-person betting by $1 million or more.
Barstool Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino dominated once again with $8.5 million, nearly 80% of all retail wagers. It was also the only retail sportsbook to deduct promotional expenses from its taxable revenue.
FanDuel Sportsbook at Kansas Star Casino took $2 million, with DraftKings Sportsbook at Boot Hill Casino taking $299,205.
