The NFL’s first repeat Super Bowl champion in two decades was also a winner for those who wagered on the Kansas City Chiefs at Kansas sportsbooks.
The six betting operators licensed by the state took in a total handle of $29,460,814.33 during this year’s Big Game, up 19.1% from Super Bowl LVII, which Kansas City won over Philadelphia.
Last year’s $24.7 million Super Bowl Sunday handle corresponded with the first legal betting on the Big Game in Kansas history. The six Kansas sports betting apps launched on the first day of September 2022.
Just like last year, that on-field success resulted in a bit of pain for operators, with $39,590,579 in payouts to customers. The same companies shelled out $37,058,817 to winners the year before. The net result was a net loss for operators (to the tune of $12,849,063 in 2024 and $14,519,790 last year), but a win for Kansas sports betting customers, according to Kansas Lottery representative Cory Thone.
“An arctic blast couldn’t keep Kansans from enjoying playoff football,” Thone told BetKansas.com. “Excitement built each week, and Kansas players had great showings on Sunday the 21st (Chiefs vs Bills) and on the 28th (Chiefs vs Ravens). Clearly, people love to bet on their favorite team, and when your hometown team is now back-to-back NFL Champions, those fans are going to be doubly excited. Congrats to the winners and remember to please play responsibly and know your limits.”
How Kansas’ Super Bowl Handle Stacks Up
Kansas’ Super Bowl handle for 2024 paled in comparison to national trendsetters like Nevada, which hosted Super Bowl LVIII and posted a total handle of $158.6 on Sunday. But there’s no denying Sunday’s results show the growth of the wagering market in the Sunflower State and the missed opportunity their neighbors to the east continue to endure by not passing a wagering bill of their own, according to industry insider Brendan Bussmann.
Bussmann, who serves as the managing partner of B Global, told BetKansas.com that Super Bowl LVIII may go down as a historic one for the Chiefs — who became the first team to repeat as champs since the New England Patriots in 2005 — but the Sunflower State achieved a fair share of glory on the sport’s biggest day as well.
“While the Chiefs and their fans may have won back-to-back Super Bowls, this shows how sports betting is a high-volume, low-margin business where sometimes the house does not win,” Bussmann said. “It shows that Kansas is taking the hits as Missouri continues to fumble on sports betting.
“Missourians are forced to go to Kansas if they want to bet legal or use illegal books that offer zero protections for consumers. It’s time for Missouri to punch this into the end zone and allow legal sports betting.”
Betting compliance company GeoComply reported more than 431,000 geolocation checks from devices located in Missouri trying to access legal mobile sportsbooks in other states during Super Bowl weekend, which was a 51% increase from last year.
Bolstered by the Chiefs Super Bowl victory, DraftKings Kansas had a handle of $74 million in February 2023. Kansas’ February 2024 revenue numbers will be reported in the middle of March.
