There have been rumblings for a while about the Kansas City Chiefs moving from Missouri to Kansas.
It would be a nightmare for Missouri fans to see their home team move into a neighboring state. But it’s becoming a real possibility.
Despite seven years remaining on the Chiefs’ lease with Missouri, negotiations have already begun. Along with degrading facilities and a failed stadium funding measure, Missouri sports betting, or lack thereof, could be a factor in the defending Super Bowl champions moving west in the near future.
Renovations and stadium funding
Complaints about the Chiefs’ facilities have begun to mount. The NFL Players Association recently released the results of a survey that asked players their thoughts on their respective teams. Kansas City’s team facilities received a resounding F-minus – not a great look for the NFL champions.
Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said the Chiefs are “overdue for renovations to their practice facilities.”
Missouri voters made it clear in April that they won’t fund a new stadium for the Chiefs. That’s not the case in Kansas.
In June, Kansas passed a tax-incentive law that expands the state’s Sales Tax and Revenue Bond program. In short, it would allow Kansas to issue bonds to cover up to 70% of the cost to build new stadiums for both the Chiefs and MLB’s Kansas City Royals.
It’s estimated the price tag for both a new football stadium and baseball venue would total around $3.5 billion. That amount includes new training facilities, as well.
Debt for this project could be paid back over 30 years, 10 years longer than the typical 20-year timeframe.
Sports betting could play a part in moving decision
Then, there’s sports betting. Both the Chiefs and Royals have been outspoken in support of Missouri legalizing sports betting. They have both backed the ballot initiative that is expected to result in a referendum on November’s ballot asking Missouri residents to approve sports betting.
There’s no certainty a referendum will pass. Recent polls suggest the vote could be close.
Should Missouri legalize sports betting, the state could use some of the tax revenue to help cover the costs of either a major renovation of Arrowhead or to build a new stadium. Chiefs President Mark Donovan told KSHB 41 the team would look at ways it could “retrofit” a sportsbook at Arrowhead immediately after legalization.
Even if sports betting is legalized in Missouri, the lure of Kansas could be too much to pass up.
Beyond bonds paying for 70% of a new stadium in the Sunflower State, tax revenue from Kansas’ mature sports betting industry could fund the remaining 30% of costs.
Teams could use Kansas incentives as leverage in Missouri
Of course, there’s certainly a world where the Chiefs and Royals stay put in Missouri. They could use Kansas’ incentives as leverage to get better deals in Missouri.
There’s no doubt, however, that the teams want new facilities in order to stay competitive in their respective leagues.
And they want to be able to offer sports betting to their fans.