KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Officials from casinos in Kansas are excited after Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill into law making sports wagering legal in the state.
Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway is one of four casinos in the state of Kansas that will have a dedicated sports book.
Regulation around it is still being drafted but the design process is well underway.
"It'll be a wonderful full sit down restaurant, enormous bar in the center, plenty of betting kiosks," Rick Skinner, VP and General Manager of Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway said.
Soon fans will pack the former "Epic Buffet" space to wager on whatever sports team they'd like.
KSHB 41 News asked Skinner if he anticipated hiring more staff in light of the bill being passed.
"Oh absolutely. We literally are going to have to expand our staff, not only for sports wagering and all the people that are involved there, but our main floor slot attendance table games," Skinner said. "Because, we're expecting this to draw not only from the Kansas side, but if Missouri doesn't pass anything, we got a lot of friends on the Missouri side in Kansas City."
While the timing on when exactly sports betting will begin is a moving target, Hollywood Casino is planning on using a temporary area when it gets approved.
"We’re going to get this open as soon as possible," Skinner said. "Our objective is to get this open before football season, so people right at the beginning of the season can come in and put their bets on the Chiefs to win."
The new law also allows people to place a bet through their phone.
"It’s geofenced and within the boundaries of the state of Kansas, you can wager with us," Skinner said. "So, you can be at your favorite pub in Overland Park and you're still a customer."
The ease of it attracts some sports fans in the Kansas City area.
"I think there are so many people that like to gamble and play and they see the opportunity to do it," Lourdes Acuña, a soccer fan said. "They’re opening a lot of minds."
A majority of the revenue from sports betting will go toward a fund to convince teams like the Chiefs to move to Kansas.
"We would certainly welcome them over here with open arms, and we'll see what happens," Skinner said. "That's a little bit down the road from what I understand as far as they have contractual obligations. But it certainly would be exciting and just incredible."
Under the new law, sports betting must be up and running by Jan. 1, 2023.
