TOPEKA — A lucky northeast Kansas lottery player nailed the Powerball jackpot on Nov. 19 to claim $92.9 million.
“The Kansas Lottery had the pleasure of making someone out there a little more thankful,” said Stephen Durrell, executive director of the Kansas Lottery. “Nothing makes us happier than giving away a big jackpot to our players.”
That followed by less than two weeks the giddy Powerball action leading to folks in California pocketing a $2.04 billion jackpot. Interest in Powerball, and the Mega Millions game, pushed Kansas lottery revenue to $35.5 million in November. That represented a 46% rise from $24.2 million in November 2021.
This transpired while Kansas sought to find its footing in the sports wagering world. Introduction of legal sports betting in Kansas resulted in monthly wagering on athletic events of $160.5 million in September, $189.9 million in October and $186.3 million in November. The three-month total: $536.7 million.
Those hefty numbers, fueled by promotional incentives lavished on sports bettors, were robust enough to raise questions about whether the advent of sports betting in Kansas would slice into consumer enthusiasm for the state’s routine casino gambling or lottery ticket sales.
Durrell said there would be a sorting out period in Kansas’ gambling and lottery sectors, but there was no evidence the traditional lottery or casino operations would collapse under the weight of sports books.
“They like to stay in their individual silos. They don’t typically cannibalize each other,” Durrell said.
