Suzanne King’s article, With a casino on their phones, more Kansas gamblers risk addiction, has earned first place in the News Story category at the 2025 Kansas Press Association Awards (KPA).
Announced April 9, KPA judges called King’s reporting from March 2024 an “excellent data-driven look at the addictive temptation of sports betting apps and people crossing state lines to wager.”
The story detailed how people had wagered almost $3 billion in Kansas since sports betting became legal, including Missourians who drove across the state line to place bets before the practice was legalized in their home state. Missouri voters in November 2024 approved making sports gambling legal, but the launch is being held up in the regulatory process.
King’s story featured people actively involved in gambling, recovering from gambling addiction, professionals from the Kansas City Port Authority Problem Gambling Fund Advisory Committee, and a representative from The National Council on Problem Gambling to provide a full picture of how sports gambling affects Kansans.
King’s recognition underscores the importance of local, investigative journalism in examining complex public health issues. We’re proud to see her work spark conversation and awareness about the growing impact of sports gambling in Kansas and Missouri.
