Kansas Gambling Laws

Legal Gambling > State Gambling Laws > Kansas Gambling Laws

Gambling in Kansas is a fairly extensive industry, due to the Kansas Gambling Laws. What forms of gambling are legal in Kansas is not a question we can easily answer, but we do have each of the important statutes listed here. You will have to make your own decisions on whether or not gambling is legal in the state, particularly online gambling. Kansas allows a limited amount of friendly gambling to take place, depending on how you look at certain games. There is no wording in the Kansas legislature that mentions the Kansas Online Gambling Laws. We have listed each important law as well as a wide range of different online gambling sites that will take your dollar and allow you to gamble for real cash.

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In the event that you are not certain over the laws, we suggest you contact a lawyer. We are not here to tell you what is legal and what is illegal, just provide you with some preliminary information and places to gamble. We are not accountable for what you choose to do with this information pertaining to legal gambling in Kansas.

Kansas Gambling Statutes

Section 21-922

City ordinances for suppression of gambling places. Cities of the first, second and third class may provide by ordinance for the suppression of common nuisances as hereinbefore defined, and for the search of premises where such nuisances are kept or maintained, and for the seizure and destruction of all gambling tables, gambling devices and other property used or kept in maintaining such nuisances, and for the payment and collection of attorney's fees in such cases.

Section 21-4302

Gambling; definitions -

(a) "Bet" means a bargain in which the parties agree that, dependent upon chance, one stands to win or lose something of value specified in the agreement. A bet does not include:

(1) Bona fide business transactions which are valid under the law of contracts including, but not limited to, contracts for the purchase or sale at a future date of securities or other commodities, and agreements to compensation for loss caused by the happening of the chance including, but not limited to, contracts of indemnity or guaranty and life or health and accident insurance;

(2) offers of purses, prizes or premiums to the actual contestants in any bona fide contest for the determination of skill, speed, strength, or endurance or to the bona fide owners of animals or vehicles entered in such a contest;

(3) a lottery as defined in this section;

(4) any bingo game by or for participants managed, operated or conducted in accordance with the laws of the state of Kansas by an organization licensed by the state of Kansas to manage, operate or conduct games of bingo;

(5) a lottery operated by the state pursuant to the Kansas lottery act;

(6) any system of parimutuel wagering managed, operated and conducted in accordance with the Kansas parimutuel racing act; or

(7) tribal gaming.

(b) "Lottery" means an enterprise wherein for a consideration the participants are given an opportunity to win a prize, the award of which is determined by chance. A lottery does not include:

(1) A lottery operated by the state pursuant to the Kansas lottery act; or

(2) tribal gaming.

(c) "Consideration" means anything which is a commercial or financial advantage to the promoter or a disadvantage to any participant.

Mere registration without purchase of goods or services; personal attendance at places or events, without payment of an admission price or fee; listening to or watching radio and television programs; answering the telephone or making a telephone call and acts of like nature are not consideration.

As used in this subsection, consideration does not include:

(1) Sums of money paid by or for participants in any bingo game managed, operated or conducted in accordance with the laws of the state of Kansas by any bona fide nonprofit religious, charitable, fraternal, educational or veteran organization licensed to manage, operate or conduct bingo games under the laws of the state of Kansas and it shall be conclusively presumed that such sums paid by or for such participants were intended by such participants to be for the benefit of the sponsoring organizations for the use of such sponsoring organizations in furthering the purposes of such sponsoring organizations, as set forth in the appropriate paragraphs of subsection (c) or (d) of section 501 of the internal revenue code of 1986 and as set forth in K.S.A. 79-4701 and amendments thereto;

(2) sums of money paid by or for participants in any lottery operated by the state pursuant to the Kansas lottery act;

(3) sums of money paid by or for participants in any system of parimutuel wagering managed, operated and conducted in accordance with the Kansas parimutuel racing act; or

(4) sums of money paid by or for a person to participate in tribal gaming.

(d) (1) "Gambling device" means:

(A) Any so-called "slot machine" or any other machine, mechanical device, electronic device or other contrivance an essential part of which is a drum or reel with insignia thereon, and (i) which when operated may deliver, as the result of chance, any money or property, or (ii) by the operation of which a person may become entitled to receive, as the result of chance, any money or property;

(B) any other machine, mechanical device, electronic device or other contrivance (including, but not limited to, roulette wheels and similar devices) which is equipped with or designed to accommodate the addition of a mechanism that enables accumulated credits to be removed, is equipped with or designed to accommodate a mechanism to record the number of credits removed or is otherwise designed, manufactured or altered primarily for use in connection with gambling, and (i) which when operated may deliver, as the result of chance, any money or property, or (ii) by the operation of which a person may become entitled to receive, as the result of chance, any money or property;

(C) any subassembly or essential part intended to be used in connection with any such machine, mechanical device, electronic device or other contrivance, but which is not attached to any such machine, mechanical device, electronic device or other contrivance as a constituent part; or

(D) any token, chip, paper, receipt or other document which evidences, purports to evidence or is designed to evidence participation in a lottery or the making of a bet. The fact that the prize is not automatically paid by the device does not affect its character as a gambling device.

(2) Gambling device does not include:

(A) Any machine, mechanical device, electronic device or other contrivance used or for use by a licensee of the Kansas racing commission as authorized by law and rules and regulations adopted by the commission or by the Kansas lottery or Kansas lottery retailers as authorized by law and rules and regulations adopted by the Kansas lottery commission;

(B) any machine, mechanical device, electronic device or other contrivance, such as a coin-operated bowling alley, shuffleboard, marble machine (a so-called pinball machine), or mechanical gun, which is not designed and manufactured primarily for use in connection with gambling, and (i) which when operated does not deliver, as a result of chance, any money, or (ii) by the operation of which a person may not become entitled to receive, as the result of the application of an element of chance, any money;

(C) any so-called claw, crane, or digger machine and similar devices which are designed and manufactured primarily for use at carnivals or county or state fairs; or

(D) any machine, mechanical device, electronic device or other contrivance used in tribal gaming.

(e) A "gambling place" is any place, room, building, vehicle, tent or location which is used for any of the following: Making and settling bets; receiving, holding, recording or forwarding bets or offers to bet; conducting lotteries; or playing gambling devices. Evidence that the place has a general reputation as a gambling place or that, at or about the time in question, it was frequently visited by persons known to be commercial gamblers or known as frequenters of gambling places is admissible on the issue of whether it is a gambling place.

(f) "Tribal gaming" has the meaning provided by K.S.A. 74-9802 and amendments thereto.

(g) "Tribal gaming commission" has the meaning provided by K.S.A. 74-9802 and amendments thereto.

Section 21-4303

Gambling. Gambling is:

(a) Making a bet; or

(b) Entering or remaining in a gambling place with intent to make a bet, to participate in a lottery, or to play a gambling device. Gambling is a class B nonperson misdemeanor.

Section 21-4303

Illegal bingo operation -

(a) Illegal bingo operation is the management, operation or conduct of games of bingo in violation of the laws of the state of Kansas pertaining to the regulation, licensing and taxing of games of bingo or rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto. Illegal bingo operation is a class A nonperson misdemeanor.

21-4304. Commercial gambling. Commercial gambling is:

(a) Operating or receiving all or part of the earnings of a gambling place;

(b) Receiving, recording, or forwarding bets or offers to bet or, with intent to receive, record, or forward bets or offers to bet, possessing facilities to do so;

(c) For gain, becoming a custodian of anything of value bet or offered to be bet;

(d) Conducting a lottery, or with intent to conduct a lottery possessing facilities to do so; or

(e) Setting up for use or collecting the proceeds of any gambling device.

Commercial gambling is a severity level 8, nonperson felony.

Section 21-4305

Permitting premises to be used for commercial gambling. Permitting premises to be used for commercial gambling is intentionally:

(a) Granting the use or allowing the continued use of a place as a gambling place; or

(b) Permitting another to set up a gambling device for use in a place under the offender's control.

Permitting premises to be used for commercial gambling is a class B nonperson misdemeanor.

Section 21-4306

Dealing in gambling devices -

(a) Dealing in gambling devices is manufacturing, transferring or possessing with intent to transfer any gambling device or sub-assembly or essential part thereof.

(b) Proof of possession of any device designed exclusively for gambling purposes, which device is not set up for use or which is not in a gambling place, creates a presumption of possession with intent to transfer.

(c) Dealing in gambling devices is a severity level 8, nonperson felony.

(d) It shall be a defense to a prosecution under this section that the gambling device is an antique slot machine and that the antique slot machine was not operated for gambling purposes while in the owner's or the defendant's possession. A slot machine shall be deemed an antique slot machine if it was manufactured prior to the year 1950.

(e) It shall be a defense to a prosecution under this section that the gambling device or sub-assembly or essential part thereof is manufactured, transferred or possessed by a manufacturer registered under the federal gambling devices act of 1962 (15 U.S.C. 1171 et seq.) or a transporter under contract with such manufacturer with intent to transfer for use:

(1) By the Kansas lottery or Kansas lottery retailers as authorized by law and rules and regulations adopted by the Kansas lottery commission;

(2) by a licensee of the Kansas racing commission as authorized by law and rules and regulations adopted by the commission;

(3) in a state other than the state of Kansas; or

(4) tribal gaming.

Section 21-4307

Possession of a gambling device -

(a) Possession of a gambling device is knowingly possessing or having custody or control, as owner, lessee, agent, employee, bailee, or otherwise, of any gambling device. Possession of a gambling device is a class B nonperson misdemeanor.

(b) It shall be a defense to a prosecution under this section that the gambling device is an antique slot machine and that the antique slot machine was not operated for gambling purposes while in the owner's or the defendant's possession. A slot machine shall be deemed an antique slot machine if it was manufactured prior to the year 1950.

(c) It shall be a defense to a prosecution under this section that the gambling device is possessed or under custody or control of a manufacturer registered under the federal gambling devices act of 1962 (15 U.S.C. 1171 et seq.) or a transporter under contract with such manufacturer with intent to transfer for use:

(1) By the Kansas lottery or Kansas lottery retailers as authorized by law and rules and regulations adopted by the Kansas lottery commission;

(2) by a licensee of the Kansas racing commission as authorized by law and rules and regulations adopted by the commission;

(3) in a state other than the state of Kansas; or

(4) in tribal gaming.

(b) This section shall be a part of and supplemental to the Kansas criminal code.

Section 21-4308

Installing communication facilities for gamblers -

Installing communication facilities for gamblers is:

(a) Installing communication facilities in a place which the person who installs the facilities knows is a gambling place;

(b) Installing communication facilities knowing that they will be used principally for the purpose of transmitting information to be used in making or settling bets; or

(c) Knowing that communication facilities are being used principally for the purpose of transmitting information to be used in making or settling bets, allowing their continued use. When any public utility providing telephone communications service is notified in writing by a state or local law enforcement agency, acting within its jurisdiction, that any facility furnished by it is being used principally for the purpose of transmitting or receiving gambling information, it shall discontinue or refuse the leasing, furnishing, or maintaining of such facility, after reasonable notice to the subscriber, but no damages, penalty or forfeiture, civil or criminal, shall be found against any such public utility for any act done in compliance with any notice received from a law enforcement agency. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prejudice the right of any person affected thereby to secure an appropriate determination, as otherwise provided by law, in a court of competent jurisdiction, that such facility should not be discontinued or removed, or should be restored.

Installing communications facilities for gamblers is a severity level 8, nonperson felony.