While Kansas regulators are set to launch sports betting Sept. 1, a fairly sizable hurdle emerged Thursday.
The Kansas Attorney General’s office found multiple “significant legal issues” in its legal review of KS sports betting regulations, according to an email from AG spokesperson John Milburn to the . The news came Thursday, the same day the Kansas Lottery announced the September start date.
“We are aware of the urgency in this matter and have expedited and nearly completed initial review of the proposed regulations from the Kansas Lottery. Our initial review has identified significant legal issues with the agency’s proposed regulations,” Milburn told the . “We intend to approve these regulations as soon as the agency fixes the legal problems in their initial version.”
There could be politics at play, as Attorney General Derek Schmidt is Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s Republican opponent in the Nov. 8 election. Kelly signed the sports betting legislation in May and touted the state’s speed to launch Thursday.