Kansas Sports Betting Cools to $168.1M in May 2026 as Revenue Slips to $12.3M
Kansas sportsbooks accepted $168,118,291 in wagers in May 2026 — the state's lowest monthly handle of the year and 6.73% below April, according to figures from the Kansas Lottery. Revenue fell to $12,339,201 on a 7.34% hold, down 14.63% from the prior month, and the state collected $1,233,920 in tax. The dip tracks the usual late-spring lull as the NBA and NHL playoffs wind down and baseball carries the calendar alone.
May 2026 at a Glance
| Metric | May 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total handle | $168.1M | −6.73% vs April · lowest of the year |
| Online handle | $166.2M | ~98.8% of all wagers |
| Retail handle | $2.0M | Casino sportsbooks |
| Revenue (GGR) | $12.34M | −14.63% vs April |
| Hold | 7.34% | Below the 8-10% national band |
| State tax (10%) | $1.23M | 10% of revenue |
Why the Handle Fell
May is a soft month for sports betting nationwide. The NBA and NHL playoffs were winding toward their finals, college sports were dormant, and Major League Baseball — steady but lower-intensity than football — carried most of the volume. Kansas's 6.73% month-over-month decline mirrors slowdowns reported across other states for the same window. Football season, not baseball, drives the peaks here as everywhere.
The 7.34% hold is on the low side. Kansas operators kept just over $7 of every $100 wagered in May, below the typical 8-10% range — a sign that results broke the bettors' way more often than usual. Combined with the lower handle, that softer hold is what pulled revenue down 14.63% from April.
Operator Breakdown — Online
| Sportsbook | Handle | Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | $65.0M | $6.0M |
| FanDuel | $50.5M | $3.9M |
| BetMGM | $12.6M | $0.47M |
| bet365 | $11.6M | $0.01M |
DraftKings and FanDuel continue to own the Kansas market, combining for roughly $115.5M of the $166.2M online handle — about 70% of all online wagering in the state. BetMGM and bet365 round out the most active books, though bet365's near-zero revenue ($10,251 on $11.6M handle) reflects a hold that ran almost entirely in bettors' favor for the month.
Operator Breakdown — Retail
| Casino (sportsbook) | Settled Wagers |
|---|---|
| Hollywood Casino (theScore Bet) | $944,601 |
| Kansas Star Casino (FanDuel) | $734,739 |
| Kansas Crossing Casino (Caesars) | $161,364 |
| Boot Hill Casino (DraftKings) | $120,539 |
Retail betting remains a rounding error in Kansas, as it does in most mobile-first states. The four casino sportsbooks combined for roughly $2.0M in settled wagers — about 1.2% of the statewide total. Kansas betting is, and will remain, an online business.
Where the Tax Goes — and Why It's Modest
Kansas taxes sportsbook revenue at 10%, which produced $1,233,920 for the state in May. Most of Kansas's sports betting tax revenue is directed toward a fund supporting efforts to attract a professional sports franchise to the state, with smaller shares for problem-gambling programs and the state general fund.
Kansas's tax take has consistently run lower than neighboring states', a function of both the modest 10% rate and the generous treatment of promotional play in the revenue calculation. For bettors, that is largely an academic point — but it explains why a state taking nearly $170M in monthly wagers contributes only about $1.2M to public coffers.
What This Means for Kansas Bettors
A 7.34% hold means Kansas's books kept about $7.34 of every $100 wagered in May — a comparatively bettor-friendly month. You can't control how games land, but you can control the price you pay to bet them.
- Line shop across books. DraftKings and FanDuel dominate the market, but BetMGM, Caesars, and bet365 frequently post the better number on a given side. Holding accounts at several books and always taking the top line lowers your effective cost.
- Go lighter on parlays. Multi-leg parlays carry the highest built-in margin. Straight spreads and totals at -110 cost far less in vig per side.
- Use the welcome offers. Kansas books are still competing hard on sign-up bonuses and odds boosts, which directly reduce your effective hold. We track the current Kansas promos on our promos page.
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Methodology and Source
All figures are from the Kansas Lottery's official May 2026 sports wagering report. Month-over-month comparisons use the Lottery's published April 2026 totals. Operator figures are the per-book online and retail breakdowns in the same release; revenue percentages reflect each book's hold for the month. Kansas taxes sportsbook revenue (gross gaming revenue after allowable deductions) at 10%.
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