FanDuel looking to bring extra convenience to Kentucky bettors ahead of Thursday’s launch

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Online sports betting in Kentucky is just two days away and sports betting apps are prepared to help make the transition to your phone as easy as possible.

Just a few weeks ago when sports betting was officially made legal in Kentucky, fans were just excited to not have to travel to Indiana to make their picks, and in just two days, they’ll be able to place bets from their phones in the comforts of their homes.

Online sports wagering has been approved to begin at 6 a.m. on Thursday but has been allowed at retail sports books in the commonwealth since Sept. 7.

Online sportsbooks like FanDuel have already been operating in Kentucky for horse race betting and have strong onsite partnerships with Churchill Downs. Officials with Fan Duel said they’re really excited about the convenience now of having the ability to bet on multiple sports and the major impact on Kentucky.

“Across the border, Ohio launched at the beginning of this year,” FanDuel TV Anchor Todd Schrupp said. “In the first half of this year, Ohioans have bet over 4.1 billion dollars on sports. When you take a look at horse racing in that same period, it’s been about five billion in the whole country. This is a huge opportunity for Kentucky in the sports betting market.”

Schrupp said FanDuel has already been prominent in Kentucky for horse racing but users will be able to use their new one wallet feature to combine their sports bets in the same account.

While FanDuel officials said they’re excited to make sports betting as convenient as possible, they also want to ensure that their users are as responsible as possible as well.

“We as a company have made the decision, despite what some of our competitors are doing, we’re going to make that minimum age 21 in Kentucky,” Schrupp said. “We believe it’s the right thing to do, and that’s the market where we believe gaming should begin in Kentucky.”

To get you started, FanDuel said if you register before Thursday you will get a free $100 in bonus bets.

With major races happening at Churchill Downs this week and the launching of online sports betting, the excitement is real across the commonwealth.