And the state’s portion of sports wagering revenues was halved during negotiations, to 10% from 20%, in a decision that Rep. Revenue estimates provided by the state are out-of-date and inaccurate. So what do Kansans get in return? No one’s really sure. (A lawsuit against his use of the machines is pending.) Ruffin’s dog park stopped operating after Sedgwick County voters in 2007 voted against allowing slot machines. In the end, the industry got much of what it asked for: lower-than-average taxes, geographic restrictions to brick-and-mortar casinos as opposed to lottery retailers, on-site wagering at professional sports events, no so-called “integrity fees” for sports leagues, and sportsbook vendors of the casino’s choice.īillionaire Phil Ruffin, owner of the Wichita Greyhound Park, got what he wanted in the form of “historical horse racing” machines – similar to slot machines – at his dog park. Lobbyists hired by casinos gave at least an additional $100,000 in campaign contributions during the same time.

Since that year, casinos, sports organizations and their leaders have given at least $300,000 to more than 170 political campaigns in Kansas while advocating with lawmakers for sports wagering regulations they could profit from, a Beacon analysis of campaign finance records shows.

Supreme Court overturned a federal ban on sports wagering in 2018. Laura Kelly signed legalized sports betting into law last May, it marked the culmination of four years of lobbying, negotiating and backroom deal-making with those poised to profit in the gambling industry.Ĭasinos, gaming companies and sports teams were closely involved in the lawmaking from the outset, all while funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars into the campaign coffers of Kansas lawmakers and regulators. How we reported this story: The Beacon relied on publicly available information from company websites and press releases business registration paperwork filed with agencies in at least five states legislative documents including hearing testimony, lawmaker voting records and archived video feeds of legislative proceedings and lobbyist registration directories and campaign finance data available from the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission. Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription.

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