At an informational session on Kansas sports betting on Tuesday, a representative for Kansas Entertainment, LLC, a subsidiary of gaming conglomerate Penn National Gaming, expressed opposition to Major League Baseball and the NBA’s positions regarding sports wagering.

He wasn’t afforded much time to speak, but in the full written testimony of Whitney B. Damron on behalf of Kansas Entertainment, he absolutely shreds the provisions on data and fees and control that the leagues have been pushing in an expansive lobbying effort spanning 10-plus states weighing sports betting legislation.

The leagues have been pushing a “Model Sports Wagering Act” (the “Act”) in many if not all of these states, including Kansas. If passed, the Act would grant the leagues what would amount to substantial control of and profit from states and state-licensed sports betting operators.

The informational session didn’t focus specifically on one piece of Kansas sports betting legislation, and there are a few. But Damron and Kansas Entertainment (which operates the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, KC) zero in on HB 2572 (pages 3-5) because that’s the one modeled squarely on the Act.

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