Casinos in Kansas

Learn all you need to know about casinos in Kansas

Kansas State is one of the only states in America that completely authorizes gambling, making it completely legal and secure. Casinos in this state offer all the classics like Blackjack, Poker, Roulette and Craps round the clock, ensuring that everyone can get their gaming fill 24 hours of the day. And table games aside, Kansas State also has a whole host of great greyhound racing tracks for people to bet on as they wish.

There are a number of tracks to choose between, and with so many options, there is the chance to find something really near to where you live (or are visiting). Additionally, the Government of Kansas run the Kansas Lottery and is a member of the multi-state lottery association.

A brief history

The legislature passed the Kansas Lottery act in 1987 which specified the regulations and rules for the operation and governance of the lottery. Tickets were sold in 21 cities in the same year. In 1995, a renewal was signed by the Governor of the time which made the lottery fully legal.

It is important to keep in mind that in Kansas, a bet is illegal unless it is placed in a specified regulated environment. According to the law, the bet must enter into a “bargain in which the parties agree that, dependent upon chance, one stands to win or lose something of value” (Section 21-4302). Kansas does not entertain online poker.

A day of gambling at Kansas

Many Kansas casinos are very exuberant and when gamers step through the doors they will be greeted by high energy levels of content gamers. Kansas stands at 26^th place when it comes to the best places to gamble. What’s more, the state is also a great place to take a vacation to, as the state itself is beautiful.

There are casinos spread across 8 cities of the state, Mayetta having 2. One of the casinos in Mayetta happens to be the largest of all casinos in Kansas; The Harrah’s Prairie Band Casino. This casino has a whooping 30 table games and 968 slot machines to be played and enjoyed.  The Golden Eagle casino is the next largest casino, boasting 16 table games and around 750 slot machines. The race tracks here are called dog tracks since they race greyhounds. Other than this though, there is quarter horse racing to be seen specifically at the horse race tracks.

Kansas Gambling Laws

Kansas is a predominantly rural state and isn’t exactly a hotbed for gambling. This state is squarely opposed to online gambling; the regulated gambling here includes a set of state-run casinos and some tribal casinos. One more important fact to know – the gamblers in Kansas have not been able to deduct the gambling losses in their tax returns since 2014.

Casinos

There are essentially two types of casino in the Sunflower State: five tribal casinos and three state-run ventures. All they run 24 hours and provide popular casino games like blackjack, craps, roulette, slots and video poker. For example, the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway that is one of the biggest casino undertakings in the state, offering around 2,000 slots and a lot of table games. In January 2015, a $62 million casino project has been recommended by the City Commission in Pittsburg; the state will select one of the three potential casino projects in the nearest future. To play at land-based casinos in Kansas the gambler must be 21 years old.

Online Gambling

There is nothing in the State legislature mentioning online gambling. The Kansas Senate did attempt to ban online gambling in 2013 but luckily for the proponents of online gaming, the senators voted the Bill down. So, for now, there are only some talks about online casinos and their place in the state gambling laws.

Horse and dog racing

The nonprofit organizations have to apply for a license with the State Racing Commission to build or own a horse racing facility. No off-track betting is allowed in the Kansas since pari-mutuel betting is allowed. Just like with horse racing, nonprofit organizations are required to apply for a license before they can construct or own a race track facility for greyhounds.

Poker

Gamblers can enjoy live poker games at the licensed casinos  in Kansas – both reservation and state-run. For example, the state-run Kansas Star Casino has own poker room, which features No Limit Hold’em and Omaha games.

Lotteries

State-owned Kansas Lottery regulates and operates activity of gambling facilities and sells scratch tickets and instant pull tab games. Players in Kansas can also enjoy Mega Millions, Powerball, Super Kansas Cash, Hot Lotto, 2by2, Pick 3, and Keno. The lottery products are sold at nearly 1,800 retail locations.

Bingo and Raffles

Charity bingo is legal in Kansas, as long as it is not run for profit. There are 174 bingo halls and parlors in the state. All religious, charities, veteran and educational organizations can run a bingo game as long as they are licensed. Raffles are illegal in Kansas but during the 2015 Legislation Session, which started in January, lawmakers are going to write the statutes regulating raffles.