Kentuckians embrace historic Super Bowl sports betting launch, record wagers predicted

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentuckians have the choice to bet on the Super Bowl from their phone or a sportsbook for the first time in history this year.

Sports betting launched in September for Kentuckians. As people continue to download apps and place wagers, experts are projecting hundreds of thousands for the state.

With just a click of a button, Kentuckians like Ira Gross, can now bet hundreds of dollars on the Super Bowl.

"I kind of liked it," Gross said.

Gross gave it a try for the first time just a couple of weeks ago with his son. He said he made about $150 on the Chiefs and Ravens game.

"There's just so much to bet on, it's hard to and like I say, 'you might not win nothing,'" Gross said.

The American Gaming Association estimates 67.8 million people are going to bet on the big game.

"That number is a 35% increase from last year and to me it's because of states like Kentucky coming online for the first time," Stephen Andress, who has five years of betting strategy experience, said.

Stephen Andress with The Lines said the catalog is bigger for the Super Bowl than it is for any game this year with about 1,000 choices.

"I talked to one sports book and they said they will have more money bet on the Super Bowl coin toss than they will any of the college basketball games that are being played on Sunday, which is kind of crazy to think about in a city like Louisville that has so many college basketball fans," Andress said.

Legal Sports Reports is projecting $1.3 billion will be bet on Super Bowl 58, a 20% increase from the previous record.

"People's gonna bet on is gonna spend it, so why not just do it here. I think it's one of the best things they did here in Kentucky," Gross said.

"Not only you have the the tax revenue benefits and taking sports betting out of the shadows and out of the illegal offshore books. And now you have those tax revenues going to the public pension fund," Andress said.

Here in the Bluegrass, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission said the state has already made about $210,000. That is only for September and October of last year - which are the only two months we have data for.

"I'll probably bet on the Chiefs because of the odds. If it don't get worse. If enough Swifties keeping betting on it, it might get worse," Gross said.

Some bets involving Taylor Swift are illegal in the United States, according to Andress.

Andress said many professional sports betters have their eye on this game. So, he emphasizes to bet responsibly. Never bet what you can't afford to loose.

Andress has his own show on WDRB+ called Beat The Spread. Andress talks about all the bets he's made on the big game. Download the free WDRB+ app on your phone or TV to see that episode.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear talked about Super Bowl sports betting at the end of Thursday's press conference in Frankfort.

Massachusetts also legalized sports betting last year.