Kentucky Regulator Staffs Up for Sports Betting Launch

One of those hirings was for a director of sports betting at the state horse racing commission.

The regulator responsible for overseeing the rollout of legal sports betting in the Bluegrass State has been busy adding bodies.

Members of the Kentucky legislature’s interim joint committee for appropriations and revenue heard this week that the state horse racing commission is well into the process of filling the 14 added positions it was allotted to help with its regulation of retail and online sports betting sites.

One of those hirings was for a director of Kentucky sports betting at the commission, with a former member of the biometric security industry, Hans Stokke, stepping into the role.

“These are… auditing positions, licensing positions, a director to oversee the process,” said Jamie Eads, executive director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, during the committee meeting. “We also have two [request for proposals] that we anticipate to be filed this week, which will help with the auditing of the technical standards as well as compliance.”

And away we go

Eads added that the racing commission is “eager and ready” for wagering to begin at brick-and-mortar sportsbooks on September 7, in time for the kickoff of the NFL’s regular season, and then September 28 at mobile sites. 

The comments came after regulations were approved earlier this month that will enable the September launch. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear not only signed those emergency rules but also an executive order establishing a sports betting advisory council to assist the state with its new sportsbooks. 

Under the current law and state infrastructure, Kentucky could have as many as 27 operators of mobile sports betting sites. That’s in addition to the physical facilities established at racetracks and associated sites to take bets. 

“This is a historic day for our commonwealth – sports wagering will open for the first time in Kentucky in less than 60 days,” Beshear said in a July 10 press release. “Bringing sports wagering to the state not only gives Kentuckians a much-anticipated new form of entertainment, but also brings money to the state to support pensions, freeing up money that can be used to build a better Kentucky through the funding of education, economic development, disaster recovery and other necessary projects, like providing cleaner water, building roads and high-speed internet.”