Kansas Lotteries

In November 1986, Kansas voters approved an amendment to the Kansas Constitution authorizing the creation of a state lottery. The Kansas Legislature passed the Kansas Lottery Act (KLA), which authorized Kansas's first state-run lottery in 1987. The KLA requires that a minimum of 45% of total sales be returned to the players in prizes. Current games offered by the KLA include instant tickets, pull-tabs, Powerball, Mega Millions, Hot Lotto Sizzler, 2by2, Super Kansas Cash, Pick 3, Kansas Hold’em and Keno. The KLA also holds special raffle games.

The KLA is overseen by a five-member, governor-appointed Commission that advises the KLA Executive Director in establishing policy, rules and regulations for lottery games and approving the annual budget. Members serve on the Commission for alternating four-year terms.

KLA products are sold at approximately 1,800 retail locations throughout the state. Licensed retailers are paid a 5% commission on ticket sales. They are also paid a 1% cashing commission on all prizes under $600 and a 2% cashing commission on all Keno and Kansas Hold'em prizes under $600. Retailers may also receive a selling commission of between $10 and $100 of 1% of prizes valued at $600 or more. Various bonuses of $1,000, $2,500 and $10,000 are paid for selling a Super Kansas Cash winning ticket for prizes of $100,000 or more, a Hot Lotto jackpot winning ticket or a Powerball jackpot winning ticket, respectively.

In September 1987, Kansas, along with Missouri, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Oregon, Iowa and Washington, DC, formed the Multi-State Lottery (MUSL) Association and started selling Lotto America tickets in November that same year. The first instant game, Up and Away, generated approximately $7 million in sales that first week.

In 1981, Kansas enacted a debt collection program, referred to as the Setoff Program, used by state agencies to collect debts owed to the state. Because of this law, the KLA must determine whether a winner is listed in the Setoff Program before any monies are paid, since all or part of the prize money may be used to satisfy the debt.

In June 2006, the Kansas Lottery launched the "Super 7's" Electronic Game Card, which was approved by the Kansas Lottery Commission in 2005.

On 31 January 2010, the Kansas Lottery added Mega Millions to its game offerings.

In May 2017, Kansas lawmakers started taking steps toward legalizing lottery vending machines to help fund mental health services in the state.

In 2018, the Kansas legislature passed HB 2194, allowing the Kansas Lottery to sell traditional style lottery tickets through self-service vending machines. As a result of this govering, the state launched four pilot machines aroud Topeka.

In July 2019, the Kansas State Lottery began an intiative to roll out 272 lottery vending machines.