KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Kansas City area’s only sportsbook is revealing its $5 million renovation as it reopens Wednesday night.
The nearest sportsbook outside of the one at Hollywood Casino in Kansas City, Kansas, is more than 120 miles away. Leaders who spearheaded this effort said it’s a move to make sure sports betting in the Sunflower State stays on par with other places.
“Without further delay, welcome to our new and improved sportsbook,” Lydia Garvey, vice president and general manager at Hollywood Casino, said as she opened the curtain.
The reopening comes after months and months of anticipation, and guests attending Wednesday were excited.
“It’s super cool. I saw it before they redid it, and it’s definitely an upgrade,” Clayton Lovekamp said.
“Sports betting can kind of become a group-think thing, so this is a nice area where you can get your group and come watch the games,” another bettor said.
With just over a year of sports gambling under its belt, there are a total of four sportsbooks in the entire state of Kansas. This is the only one in the Kansas City area.
It’s big business since Kansas launched sports betting in 2022. Adults in the state have wagered more than $1.8 billion.
Missouri lawmakers may take up the issue of sports wagering again in the new legislative session that begins next week, but efforts to legalize have repeatedly stalled in past years.
Now the hope from Hollywood Casino is that more people will come out — even if they’re not betting, but just to enjoy another place to watch sports.
“It’s a great addition,” Garvey said. “Kansas City is such a sports town. Everybody loves the teams here and to be able to offer — it’s just an awesome feature to have that amps up the excitement around a game and really gives people more choices for their entertainment.”
The sportsbook lounge itself, which includes new seating, a new bar area and too many TVs to count, is free to enjoy and open 24/7 all year.
“This sports betting experience puts us on par with so any other states across the country,” Garvey said.
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If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling problem, help is available.
Find resources from the Kansas Behavioral Health Services, Kansas Gambling Help, or call the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network at 1-800-522-4700.
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