Legislative Resolution 20CA, from State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln, would put the decision on whether to legalize online sports betting to voters at the November 2026 election. It advanced 27-16 in the first round of debate in the 49-member body. But as at least one opponent promised a full-fledged filibuster during the next debate stage, the measure would need 33 votes instead.

“Let’s not leave this money on the table,” Bostar said, adding that Nebraskans are already placing bets but revenue is going to neighboring states.

State Sen. Dunixi Guereca, a freshman whose Omaha district is on the Iowa-Nebraska border, repeated Monday what he said in his 2024 campaign: from his front porch, he can see people going over a bridge to Iowa, pulling off into a gravel lot and placing bets. He said Nebraska’s inaction is moving tax dollars to Iowa.

“I don’t want you to like sports betting,” Bostar said, “but I would hope that you would find an offense in us giving our money away to Iowa.”

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While the immediate effects are minimal, the long-term implications for Kansas’ sports betting landscape are profound.

Jeremy Kudon, a lobbyist for the Sports Betting Alliance (SBA), reassured stakeholders via X, noting that most current contracts with the lottery stretch into 2027. The SBA represents major players like FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Fanatics, who, along with Caesars Sportsbook and ESPN Bet, operate under licenses valid until August 27, 2027.

However, unless significant changes occur by the expiration date of June 30, 2026, as stipulated by the amendment, these operators risk losing their foothold in Kansas. The amendment’s passage has sparked criticism from industry representatives like the iDevelopment and Economic Association (iDEA), which stands with SBA in denouncing the legislative shift.

John Pappas, iDEA’s state advocacy director, criticized the decision, describing it as “reckless budget maneuvering” that threatens the integrity of the state’s regulated sports betting market. Pappas warned that the move could drive consumers towards illegal, unregulated platforms that lack tax contributions and offer minimal consumer protection.

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The bill has sparked much debate, yet has continued to march toward becoming law. The Senate voted 15-10 to approve an amended version of the bill on Tuesday, with four of the votes tallied “with reservations.”

Those amendments included operator restrictions, taxation devoted to responsible gambling initiatives and payment/fining particulars, per Casino Reports.

If the Hawaii House of Representatives approves the amendment included in the bill, and Gov. Green signs the bill into law, Hawaii will become the 40th state to legalize sports betting and will also be able to offer DFS contests to state residents.

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The city’s largest think tank Our Hong Kong Foundation on Friday urged the government to inject earnings from basketball gambling – estimated at more than HK$2 billion (US$257 million) a year – into a new fund for improving sports facilities in the community, training professional athletes and hosting international sports events.

“We should utilise the additional profit to give back to society, especially those concerning public investment,” Josselyn Chau, research manager of the foundation, said.

She suggested 40 per cent of the revenue could go to renovating community sports venues, and 30 per cent for hiring international coaches that could offer better training for athletes.

The final 30 per cent, Chau said, could be used for exploring more opportunities for Hong Kong to host more international games.

Her suggestion followed the launch of public consultation on the legalisation of basketball betting by the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau on Wednesday, which said it would adopt “a pragmatic approach” by allowing a limited number of authorised gambling outlets.

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Supporters say taxes on the business could be used to pay for gambling addiction programs and a crackdown on illegal betting.

Rep. Daniel Holt, a Kalihi Democrat, has proposed several gaming bills over the years, but Hawaii remains one of only two states with no legal gaming allowed.

But Holt says online sports betting is already everywhere in the community and the state should get a piece of the action. “These people are already out there sports betting through illegal methods,” he said. “This would be an avenue for us to collect the tax revenue.”

The bill was supported by labor. Cody Sula spoke for the Iron Workers Stabilization Fund.

“I know people whose already gambling or wagering or whatever they do on their phone, but the money is not staying here its going elsewhere,” he said.

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Baker spoke on the topic during a sit-down with “CBS Evening News” that aired hours before the opening game of the First Four of March Madness began on Tuesday.  

The NCAA head said the biggest concern he had heard from college athletes is over prop betting and the toxic atmosphere it has created inside venues.

Baker described the comments that are coming from fans related to this type of sports betting, saying fans yell at the student-athletes. 

“Go sit behind the bench at one of these conference tournaments and listen to the bettors, yell and scream at these kids about their performance,” Baker said. “‘You need to do better. I’m losing money on you.’ Or the stuff that shows up online which we track in our tournaments, which is way more vicious and brutal than that. It’s really, this is a problem.”

Baker said the NCAA is trying to fix the problem by encouraging state gaming authorities to ban prop betting on college athletics. 

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The Minnesota House proposal, H.F. 1842, is a companion bill to the Minnesota Senate proposal S.F. 757, which was introduced earlier this year.

Minnesota House legislators believe that with the chamber returning to a 67-67 tie, the bill has a good chance of becoming law as it moves through the committed process.

Rep. Cedrick Frazier (DFL-New Hope) shared a statement saying, “We recognize that sports betting is already happening, often in unregulated markets, and our goal is to bring it into a well-structured legal framework that prioritizes consumer protections and responsible gaming.

As the bill moves through the legislative process, lawmakers are committed to continued dialogue with stakeholders to refine and strengthen its provisions. With bipartisan support and a strong focus on consumer protection, advocates hope this legislation will position Minnesota as a leader in responsible sports betting regulation. We have seen the consequences of inadequate regulations in other states, and we are determined to do this right. Our aim is to create a model that other states can look to when implementing their own sports betting laws.”

Rep. Liish Kozlowski (DFL-Duluth) also spoke about the safeguards in the bill and the backing tribal nations in a statement saying: “Respecting tribal sovereignty and ensuring a fair, regulated, and competitive market emerges in Minnesota is essential.” 

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Senate Bill 748, filed by Democratic Senators Frank Ciccone, John Burke, Todd Patalano, and David Tikoian, would prohibit the state lottery division of gaming from renewing its exclusive sports betting vendor contract with International Game Technology (IGT) when it expires in 2026.

Rhode Island was among the first states to launch legalized sports betting following the Supreme Court’s repeal of PASPA. Since 2019, IGT has powered Sportsbook Rhode Island as the exclusive provider of both retail and online wagering through its PlaySports technology.

The company also holds a 20-year contract as the exclusive supplier of retail and online lottery services to the Rhode Island Lottery, giving it a significant footprint in the state’s gaming industry.

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On Tuesday, the House passed two Senate bills, with one originally having to do with the state’s coastal tidelands boundary and the other with fines for companies engaging in illegal sports betting in Mississippi. The House’s original mobile sports betting bill was embedded into both pieces of legislation in committee last week.

Both bills passed the House with a comfortable majority.

When asked about placing mobile sports betting into those bills, House Gaming Chairman Casey Eure, R-Saucier, told reporters last week he wants to continue negotiating the topic and is willing to sacrifice at least one of the Senate bills’ original intents.

“It’s a possibility (that tidelands will not get addressed this year if the Senate does not take up mobile sports betting), but the House’s position is on mobile sports betting,” Eure said. “We’re concerned about tidelands, but at this point, it’s all about negotiating.”

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Rep. Daniel Holt, a Kalihi Democrat, has proposed several gaming bills over the years, but Hawaii remains one of only two states with no legal gaming allowed.

But Holt says online sports betting is already everywhere in the community and the state should get a piece of the action.

“These people are already out there sports betting through illegal methods,” he said. “This would be an avenue for us to collect the tax revenue.”

The bill was supported by labor. Cody Sula spoke for the Iron Workers Stabilization Fund.

“I know people whose already gambling or wagering or whatever they do on their phone, but the money is not staying here its going elsewhere,” he said.

At Friday’s hearing, no one opposed HB 1308 in person. The bill would put money from a gaming tax toward enforcement of illegal gambling and gambling addiction programs.

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