WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – It’s been a week since sports-betting programs like FanDuel and DraftKings went live in the state of Kansas, and since last Thursday, Sept. 1, sports betting has already brought a noticeable interest. Kansas Lottery CEO Stephen Durrell said it’s been a busy week for those who want to place wagers on games since it’s legal to do so in the Sunflower State.
“All over the world, sports betting is something that people have been doing for a long time,” Durrell said. “Now that it’s legal here in Kansas, it seems like people are embracing it.”
Sportsbooks at four Kansas state casinos began accepting bets in person and on mobile platforms last Thursday. They will officially open this Thursday (Sept. 8). A “soft launch” drew Kansans to sports betting programs.
With programs like BetMGM offering loans, Durrell said players are getting savvy.
“We also have players who have signed up to multiple platforms to take advantage of the incentives,” said Durrell.
He said that the money made last week is starting to come in and the estimates are close to what was previously estimated.
“We don’t have enough statistical data yet to know whether we are on target, low or high,” said Durrell. “I don’t think we’re down, I think we’re on target or maybe a little bit higher at the moment.”
With the first week of legalized gambling in the books, college football games are drawing more attention from bettors with the NFL season still underway.
“Right now, it looks like K-State was the top betting team in the first weekend, followed by KU and the Royals,” Durrell said. “Chief was not in the top five, which I thought was interesting. I think as we go into pro-football this week, I think that will change. “
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