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Read. Follow. Verify.Kansas Bill Exempts Amusement Machines, Esports, and Skill Contests from Unlawful Gambling Laws
Last action · April 10, 2026: Died in Committee
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What This Bill Proposed
This failed bill would have amended Kansas criminal law to exempt specific amusement devices, s, and skill-based contests from the definition of unlawful gambling and illegal gambling devices. It defined legal parameters for s offering low-value noncash merchandise prizes up to $25 and excluded qualifying skill and esports events from criminal penalties.
Residents and local business operators who offer arcade-style games, esports tournaments, or skill-based competitions would have had clear statutory protection from criminal misdemeanor prosecution, provided prize values and operational rules met specific state thresholds.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Amusement machine operators and owners
Their arcade machines and devices would gain explicit legal protection from being classified as illegal gambling devices, provided prize values remain under $25.
Esports competitors and tournament organizers
Their competitive video game tournaments would be explicitly excluded from state prohibitions against unlawful gambling and gambling devices.
Law enforcement and prosecutors
The legal criteria for prosecuting unlawful gambling misdemeanors would be modified by establishing clear statutory exemptions for skill-based and amusement devices.
Key Facts
- Amusement machines providing noncash merchandise prizes worth $25 or less per single play would be legally exempted from gambling device definitions.
- Noncash merchandise prizes from amusement machines cannot include alcoholic beverages, items eligible for repurchase, or cash equivalents.
- Esports competitions meeting specific criteria—such as fixed participant numbers, predetermined prize values, and outcomes determined solely by skill—are excluded from unlawful gambling definitions.
- Skill-based contests involving live, in-person competitive events determined by skill without utilizing gambling devices are excluded from the definition of a bet.
Show all 6 facts
- The bill explicitly amends existing statutes K.S.A. 21-6403 and 21-6404.
- Unlawful gambling under K.S.A. 21-6404 remains classified as a class B nonperson misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of prizes would be allowed on amusement machines under this bill?
Would esports competitions be considered illegal gambling under this measure?
What is the penalty for unlawful gambling in Kansas under current law?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died in committee.
Procedural history
3 actions- Apr 10, 2026SenateDied in Committee
- Feb 25, 2026SenateCommitteeReferred to Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs
- Feb 24, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.kslegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 45)
- Controversy30Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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