Kansas Approves Sports Betting on Tribe Land for Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska

In northeast Kansas, the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska was granted permission to offer sports wagering on reservation land by a joint committee of the state legislature. The Committee on Inter-Tribal Relations endorsed the sports-betting agreement, which must now be approved by both chambers of the Legislature, Gov. Laura Kelly, and the U.S. Department of Interior for review before it can become law.

The Prairie Band Potawatomie Nation was the first tribe in Kansas to complete the sports-wagering process in July 2023, just months after the Senate approved their revised compact 27-8 and it was endorsed 93-27 in the House in April 2023. Attorney Russ Brien, a member of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, explained that their compact is similar to the one approved last year for the Prairie Band.

Following years of debate, Kansas legalized mobile and retail sports gambling in 2022 with a bill that was signed into law by Gov. Kelly. The bill applied to various state-licensed casinos such as Boot Hill Casino & Resort, Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway, Kansas Star Casino, and Kansas Crossing Casino. However, tribes in Kansas have a different procedure for regulatory approval when it comes to sports gambling on professional and collegiate events.

Tribal casinos interested in sports betting must request approval from the governor and engage in negotiations to amend their compact. According to Justin Whitten, chief counsel to Gov., this revised compact allows for in-person sports wagering on reservation land held by the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska while also including a trigger mechanism for potential remote online wagering from locations throughout