TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly said the state’s sports betting agreement won’t be enough to attract a professional sports team to the state, after a ceremonial bill signing on Monday.
The law establishes the “Attracting Professional Sports in Kansas” fund, and it would designate that 80% of the state’s portion of sports wagering revenues would be deposited in the fund. As it stands, the plan could generate $1 million to $5 million in annual revenue for the state.
“I have never approached the Chiefs, nor has anybody in my administration, so no… I am not doing that,” Kelly said. “And quite honestly, when you think about it the amount of money that this bill would generate and put into that fund, it would not come close to being what you would need to be able to attract a major league.”
The governor’s comments come after speculation over the state using money from sports wagering to potentially strike a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, as a possible move is up in the air.
In April, Missouri Governor Mike Parson said he doesn’t plan to let the Chiefs relocate without a fight.
After talking with Chiefs president Mark Donovan, Parson also released a statement saying he told Donovan that Missouri “will compete with any state trying to move the Chiefs.”
“Missouri has been home to the Kansas City Chiefs for nearly 60 years, and we don’t anticipate that changing anytime soon,” Parson said.
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