Don't bet on Kansas making much money from all that Super Bowl gambling

Kansas Lottery officials expect to see a large spike in bets placed for the Super Bowl. But the state will only get a small amount of the revenue generated from the big game — if the state-owned casinos make any money at all.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s gambling choices could cost the state money if the Kansas City Chiefs win the Super Bowl. But don’t sweat it — the stakes are low.

Sports bookies like the state make money off losing bets. They try to set odds so the amount bet for or against a team winning (or a point total or even the coin toss) roughly equals out. That’s harder to do on a big game with a local team involved.

Bettors in Kansas, putting their money where their hearts are, are counting on the Chiefs to win. If they’re right, the game could be one of those rare times when the casinos and the state actually pay out more winnings than the losing bets they pocket on newly legal sports betting.