Kansas operators wrote off $5.16 million in free bets and the state collected almost nothing, in August, they barely promoted at all, held their revenue, and handed the state 17% more. The two months are a controlled experiment in what promotions really cost.

Kansas sportsbooks handled $162 million in August 2026 and kept $12,241,679 at a 7.32% hold, sending $1,224,168 to the state at a flat 10% rate.

On the surface, it was an unremarkablemonth, handle fell 14% from last August, and the totals are the kind that draw little attention in a mid-sized market.

DraftKings again led on volume with $ $62.5 million in handle, 44.7% of the online market. FanDuel followed at $56.4 million million. But the more telling figures are the holds.

In August, DraftKings had held just 2.97% and FanDuel 4.26%, both crushed by tournament payouts and promotional spending. In July, DraftKings recovered to 6.22% and FanDuel to 8.52%, roughly doubling their margins on similar handle.