Is Missouri Sports Betting Key to Keeping Kansas City Chiefs in the State?

The push for Missouri sports betting has always been higher-stakes. But it’s about to become even more urgent.

And it’s all because of Kansas.

The Sunflower State, Missouri’s neighbor, apparently has designs on poaching at least two of the Show-Me State’s pro sports franchises when their current revenue leases expire. What’s more, they plan to lobby the franchises using revenue generated from sports betting in Kansas. In that way, this news comes as a double-edged sword. Not only could the Show-Me State theoretically lose to flagship franchises. It could do so because sports betting in Missouri has yet to be legalized.

Kansas is Looking to Further Capitalize on the Absence of Missouri Sports Betting

As many already know, the Sunflower State continues to benefit from the absence of Missouri sports betting. Residents of the Show-Me State have routinely traveled to Kansas ever since they launched sports betting in 2022 so that they can place wagers. Meanwhile, the issue of Missouri sports betting keeps running into various roadblocks. 

These obstacles predominantly present themselves in the Senate. Pro sports teams have since taken it upon themselves to try legalizing Missouri sports betting without having to go through the Senate or House of Representatives. Earlier this year, they submitted a petition with the required number of signatures to get Missouri sports betting on the November 2024 ballot. It isn’t clear whether the measure will succeed. But it’s perhaps the closest the state has come. 

As of now, though, Missouri doesn’t have sports betting. And Kansas is attempting to use that to their advantage by pitching the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs and MLB’s Kansas City Royals on relocation. The Sunflower State’s governor, Laura Kelly, recently signed a bill that allows more of Kansas’ sports betting revenue to be funneled toward this initiative. While the proposal is somewhat complicated, the gist of it remains easily digestible. Essentially, Kansas would direct more of its sports betting revenue toward constructing venues that would entice the Chiefs and Royals into leaving the Missouri market.

On top of that, it turns out the Sunflower State has plotted this for years. They reportedly started a “Attracting Professional Sports to Kansas Fund” once wagering went live in 2022.

Should Missouri be Worried About Kansas’ Pitch to the Chiefs and Royals?

Kansas’ plan sounds like it should light a red-alarm fire under Missouri. The latter’s pro sports teams clearly want the financial perks associated with legal sports betting. They wouldn’t be sponsoring a petition to get it on the November ballot otherwise. If the Chiefs and Royals see an opportunity to generate more revenue in Kansas, isn’t there a real chance they take it?

Maybe. But the process is more complex than that. For starters, Kansas needs to do more than exploit the absence of Missouri in their sales pitches. They need to actually have state-of-the-art venues in place to host inbound franchises. 

At present, the “Attracting Professional Sports to Kansas Fund” appears to have under $10 million in it. That’s nowhere near enough to help with stadium agendas. However, that number stands to skyrocket now that they can devote even more of their revenue to the initiative. Granted, it isn’t immediately clear how quickly the fund will grow. The new bill isn’t set to take effect until August. But there’s a chance the Sunflower State is about to have a rapidly growing slush funder to their name. 

Make no mistake, this needs to catch the attention of officials in the Show-Me State. Perhaps it won’t increase their appetite for legal Missouri sports betting. Kansas’ threat does seem forever away, after all. The Chiefs’ current lease at Arrowhead Stadium isn’t up until 2031. That gives Missouri time to adapt, adjust and, above, figure out how to keep the Chiefs (and Royals) in their current digs.

Is Legal Sports Betting the Key to Keeping the Chiefs and Royals in Missouri?

This is a tough question to answer in absolute terms. Is sports betting a factor here? Absolutely. Professional franchises like the Chiefs can turn higher profits in Missouri if top online sportsbooks in the United States are allowed to enter the market. But that status of sports betting in the Show-Me State isn’t the only thing at issue. 

In fact, the renovation or construction of new stadiums may be the bigger factor. As Legal Sports Report’s Pat Evans relayed in a recent piece:

Earlier this year, voters on the Missouri side of Kansas City decided against using sales taxes to fund the teams’ efforts to remain in Kansas City. The Chiefs proposed an $800 million renovation to Arrowhead Stadium, while the Royals planned a $2 billion stadium in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Officials from the Chiefs and Royals have said they will consider Kansas options, according to the Associated Press. They have floated the idea in the past, as well. Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Quinton Lucas, however, said during a news conference he will ‘lay out a good offer’ to the teams. ‘Today was largely, in my opinion, about leverage,’ Lucas said. ‘And the teams are in an exceptional leverage position.’

From the sound of things, new (or renovated) stadiums seem like they’ll be a driving force behind what happens next. Kansas seems prepared to promise what it takes in a few years’ time. Whether the Show-Me State matches remain to be seen.

Of course, Missouri sports betting could go a long way toward solidifying their position. The state could direct revenue generated from sports wagering towards stadium projects—something voters seem more likely to support. But again, with the better part of a decade to go before the Chiefs specifically can leave, it’s tough to know what happens next. What we do know: Kansas seems like a real threat. And Missouri must take that into consideration.

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