POTTER, Kan. — A Kansas man said he isn’t able to place a sports bet from his home in the sunflower state due to an IP address issue.
Terry Custer has lived in Potter, Kansas, for 30 years. All those years he’s had the same service provider.
He didn’t know his IP address was listed as Kansas City, Missouri, until he went to place a bet last week.
“I thought what about Wichita, Topeka,” Custer said, describing a call with his provider. “You know, why can’t I get them there? And they told me we don’t have them there.”
KSHB 41 reached out to his service provider’s parent company and they say "the sports betting company may choose to use a third-party for IP geolocation, whose information may not be 100% accurate. Since the vendor they use is outside of of our control, we would need more time to research the customer’s issue for a possible fix."
Custer wants to place a bet on the Chiefs before kickoff Sunday, but with each passing day the odds are changing.
“I had better odds yesterday,” he said. “I don’t really know what else I can do, except call you guys.”
KSHB 41 took his concerns to the state. We asked if they are aware of any geo-fencing issues preventing people located in Kansas from making a bet.
“For the most part, it has not been a problem and we are hopeful we learn about a few more hiccups along the way (so) we can iron those out,” Stephen Durrell, executive director at the Kansas Lottery, said. “So far, it hasn’t been a really big issue.”
The state is still in its soft launch period.
“If it continually becomes a problem that people in the state can’t place a wager, then we absolutely as the owner/operator will get involved,” Durrell said.
Custer is hoping the issues are resolved before kickoff.
“I’ve watched the Chiefs do good and I’ve watched them flounder and fall,” he said. “Now with Patrick Mahomes, we’re doing a pretty good job.”
So good he’d bet on it.
—
