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The Douglas County, Kansas bookies are in high demand as the town of Lawrence is home to the University of Kansas’ main campus and the red hot College Basketball team, the Jayhawks. Lawrence is one of the state’s largest college towns.
While the population of Douglas County is just over 114,000, that number swells during the school year. It is the fifth most populous county in Kansas.
In addition to the vast number of college students who will be seeking out bookies during the school year, Douglas County does attract some of Kansas’ more affluent residents. Lawrence is a decidedly white-collar city, with fully 87.25% of the workforce employed in white-collar jobs, well above the national average.
The University of Kansas is the largest employer in the county with Lawrence Memorial Hospital also a major source of work. Berry Plastics and Hallmark Cards, Inc. are major manufacturers that are based out of this county. Just a 30 minute commute to the city of Topeka and 45 minute drive to Kansas City, Lawrence is an ideal place to live for folks who work in either major cities and commute daily.
The Jayhawks draw the 9th largest crowd in College Basketball annually.
When it comes to College Football, just over 50 percent of those in this county support the home town Jayhawks despite winning only two games during the 2016 regular season. We suspect that percentage would be much higher with a better team.
With the NFL, this is a no-brainer as residents overwhelmingly support the home state Chiefs at between 55 and 60 percent. The Broncos have the second biggest fan base at 6 percent and Cowboys at 4 percent.
Bookies tend to be most prevalent on college campuses like KU and in sports bars and pool halls, which are plentiful in and around Lawrence. Johnny’s Tavern, Henry T’s, Wayne & Larry’s and Bird Dog Bar are just a few of the establishments serving the sports fan and betting community here.
Pay Per Head services help in boosting profit margins further while reducing losses through the offering of live in-play betting, numerous proposition and future betting options as well as the option of adding an online casino. As any of the top offshore sports book operators can tell you, online casino games help drive massive amounts of revenue to the sites thanks to the solid house advantage. This is true of a regular land based casino as well.
A Pay Per Head runs all aspect of the bookie business with the exception of handling financial transactions. They charge a small weekly fee per customer (per head), often starting around $10. In the long run, bookies and agents alike save money while minimizing the headaches involved in running such a business entirely on their own.
Pay Per Head businesses in a way can actually help in reducing criminal activities in a particular jurisdiction. Bookies will be bookies no matter what, but Pay Per Heads eliminate the wire rooms and physical operation that would otherwise attract a certain criminal element to one’s home or establishment.
At 36 crimes per one thousand residents, it is not among the communities with the very highest crime rate, though that number tends to double, or even triple, when one considers high risk activities like bookmaking.
Simple gambling in the state of Kansas is a misdemeanor while aggravated gambling (commercial gambling) is a felony. In the town of Lawrence, specifically, it is illegal to carry bees in one’s hat. This law likely stems from the fact that the local team is named the Jayhawks.
- Aaron Goldstein, Gambling911.com
