Gov. Laura Kelly signed into law SB 84, granting Kansans the option to legally bet on D1 and professional sports. The law came into effect July 1, but the Kansas Lottery opened sports betting on Sept. 1, according to a Kansas Lottery press release.
In an interview with Eric Horner, baseball coach, Horner stated that it is ok to bet as a viewer, but does not think athletes should be able to bet.
According to the new Kansas law, “athletes, coaches, referees, team owners, employees of a sports governing body or its member teams, and player and referee union personnel” are prohibited from placing wagers.
In an article from mintdice.com, it states that at a Sportsbook, an ID check is performed before betting in order to determine if you are eligible to bet or not. It also states that the athletes could potentially lose their jobs depending on their contracts and that this is enough to keep players from even trying.
The website expressed that “gambling on yourself as a professional athlete carries steep retributions, so it’s probably better to just focus on what is going on during the game rather than figuring out how to bet a game illegally.”
JCCC student, Ryan Sellman, freshman, believes that sports betting is fun.
“[Sports betting] makes every game interesting, and you can do it at your own risk,” Sellman said. “[Nobody] is forced to [bet].”
When asked if athletes should be able to bet, Sellman implied that it is up to the athlete.
The full text of the bill can be accessed here, and a summary can be accessed here.
Abby Rinehart, news editor