Kansas struggles with details of legalizing sports betting

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers who want to legalize betting on sports events and allow online sales of lottery tickets are struggling to agree on the details and facing criticism that they're being too generous toward companies already managing casinos for the state.

The state Senate gave first-round approval Wednesday to a sports betting bill less than month after the Kansas City Chiefs' victory in professional football's Super Bowl highlighted how many Kansas fans likely placed wagers on the team out of state or illegally. Senators hoped to take a final vote on the measure later Wednesday to determine whether it passes and goes to the House, where a committee is working on its own legislation.

The Senate's bill would allow people to place bets on sports events through four state-owned casinos managed by private companies through contracts with the Kansas Lottery, and the casino companies could take wagers through computer or cellphone apps. The measure also would allow limited state lottery ticket sales online.

The bill's supporters don't expect sports betting to raise more than a few million dollars a year for the state, even if the annual amount wagered reaches $1 billion, because 95% would go back to players in the form of winnings. But 20 states have legalized sports betting, including Colorado, Illinois and Iowa.

“It certainly put us in a position where we can establish sports gaming in Kansas and pull, hopefully pull, wagers from a black market, off-shore, unregulated, untaxed market and bring it into Kansas under a regulated, safe market,” said Senate Vice President Jeff Longbine, an Emporia Republican who led supporters during a four-hour debate.

The House committee plans to have hearings next month on its rival proposal. Chairman John Barker, an Abilene Republican, said it would give the state...