Kentucky Sports Betting: Gov. Beshear Makes 1st Bet; Mobile Wagering Starts Sept. 28
Retail sports betting began in Kentucky on Thursday. The Commonwealth became the 35th state (plus the District of Columbia) in which people can legally bet in the United States. Here are the locations legally allowed to take in-person wagers in Kentucky as of 10 a.m. on September 7:
- Churchill Downs/Derby City Gaming (Louisville - 4 Locations)
- ECL Corbin - The Mint Gaming Hall at Cumberland Run (Williamsburg)
- ECL Corbin - The Mint Gaming Hall at Cumberland Run (Corbin)
- Ellis Park (Henderson)
- Lexington Trots - The Red Mile (Lexington)
- Revolutionary Racing - Sandy's Racing (Ashland)
- Turfway Park (Florence)
- Turfway Park (Newport)
- WYK - Oak Grove Racing
Not all the facilities are open as of launch day.
Mobile betting will launch on September 28, and multiple Kentucky sportsbooks have been approved to operate as service providers by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. The operators approved on a temporary basis in the Commonwealth. Those companies are:
- BetMGM
- Circa Sports
- FanDuel
- Penn Sports Interactive (Barstool/ESPN Bet)
- Fanatics Sportsbook
Kambi was also approved as the technology service provider for several operators. The KHRC said it does not have any other service operators in the pipeline. But others could still apply to operate this year. Licenses are valid for up to one year.
The approvals were unanimous and pre-registration is now open. Right now, bet365 Kentucky is offering early sign-ups ups $10 in Bonus Bets For Every TD scored in the Packers-Lions game on September 28. That's the first-day mobile betting can begin.
Bet365 Kentucky's pre-registration offer can also be combined with its launch offer of Bet $1, Get $365 in Bonus Bets. If you sign up now, you can get both, if not, you'll miss out on the pre-reg offer once Kentucky sports betting goes live for mobile betting on September 28.
Meanwhile, FanDuel is offering $100 in Bonus Bets, plus $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket for anyone who signs up now. DraftKings, on the other hand, has launched an early sign-up offer of $200 in Bonus Bets on Launch Day. BetMGM is offering $100 in Bonus Bets for Launch Day for anyone 21+ who signs up today.
Gov. Beshear Places First Wager At Churchill Downs
Thursday happens to be the day the day in which Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs host the Detroit Lions in the NFL season opener.
Gov. Andy Beshear placed the first bet at Churchill Downs: a $20 parlay bet for the “over” on wins for the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville football teams, and the “under” on Duke University’s football team.
“Today is a great day to celebrate and have a little bit of fun doing so,” said Beshear. “It has taken many years to get here, but sports wagering is finally a reality in Kentucky. This is a win-win for Kentuckians, who can enjoy a quality entertainment experience and benefit from funds staying right here in our state to help us build a better Kentucky.”
Beshear placed a second wager Thursday at Lexington’s Red Mile.
The Kentucky Sports Wagering Advisory Council met for the first time on August 31 and proposed a betting catalog that includes a full menu of college, pro and amateur sports.
Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman placed a wager at an opening event at Northern Kentucky’s Turfway Park in Florence, betting $20 on the nearby Cincinnati Bengals to win the Super Bowl.
“Sports wagering will benefit all Kentuckians,” Coleman said. “It means more revenue for economic development, disaster relief and infrastructure projects, like new roads, bridges and clean water. It means more money for our public schools and support for the pensions of firefighters, public servants, teachers and law enforcement officers. Simply put, sports wagering is helping us build a better Kentucky for everyone.”
The college football season continues this weekend.
“The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) and the KHRC staff worked tirelessly to meet this challenge. The KHRC is dedicated to wagering integrity, and while we are celebrating today’s launch, our work continues,” said KHRC Chairman Jonathan Rabinowitz.
The proposed September 28 mobile launch date co-coincides with Week 4 of the NFL NFL betting season. Kentucky joins Kansas (four months after legalization) as two of the fastest states to launch sports betting since it became widespread outside of Las Vegas in 2018.
Kentucky Sports Betting 'Countdown Is On'
As of 6 a.m. on August 28, Kentuckians can start the pre-registration process. In-person wagering began at 10 a.m. on Thursday, September 7. On that same day, bettors will be able to make deposits into their online accounts.
"Allowing pre-registration eases strains on electronic systems that can sometimes happen when many people try to register at once," the KHRC said in a release.
Mobile betting will commence at 6 a.m. on September 28.
Kentucky retail sportsbooks will be taxed at 9.7%, while mobile will be charged at 14.35.
Beshear has previously said his office has been "active in every part" of the push to get sports betting launched in Kentucky "before the first game of the NFL betting season."
Kentucky was able to move quickly because it had a lot of other states to gauge in terms of how they handled regulations.
During a meeting on June 20, Kentucky Horse Racing Commission chairman Jonathan Rabinowitz saidgaming officials in Massachusetts, Ohio, Indiana, New Jersey, and Colorado have provided the KHRC with "valuable insight into best practices."
Licensing applications do not guarantee licensure. The KHRC is also in the process of reviewing licensing applications for key employees.
“The KHRC is excited to open sports wagering and is working efficiently to meet the necessary deadlines. This is a careful process dedicated to wagering integrity and protecting bettors in the state of Kentucky,” Kentucky Horse Rabinowitz said Thursday.
Kentucky Sportsbook Partnerships
Tuesday, DraftKings announced it had a deal to operate its book in conjunction with Cumberland Run. It also plans to take wagers from those 18 and over, as the law allows. Kentucky would be the 22 state DraftKings is live in with its mobile sportsbook and 24 overall with sports betting.
Caesars Sportsbook was the first operator to announce a deal in Kentucky following the legalization of sports betting in March. Caesars partnered with Keeneland and Red Mile Gaming & Racing in Lexington to operate both its online betting app and brick-and-mortar retail sportsbooks at each site. However, Keeneland has opted not to apply for a sports wagering license.
BetMGM previously announced a partnership with Revolutionary Racing Kentucky.
In addition to statewide mobile betting through its BetMGM app and website, the operator plans to open a 5,200-square-foot retail book at Sandy's Racing & Gaming in Ashland. The legal betting age in Kentucky is 18, however, BetMGM, along with Caesars, will only take bets from people 21 and over.
“Kentucky has a rich history in sports and a passionate fan base,” said BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt in a release. “Revolutionary Racing is an ideal partner, enabling us to deliver an entertaining and responsible gaming experience while investing in the state through job creation and tax revenue.”
HB 551 became law in March. The bill allows legal sports betting in the state for those 18 and over after it cleared a final vote in the state Senate following a long legislative slog. The law allows the Kentucky Speedway and the state’s nine-horse tracks to operate retail sportsbooks.
Kentucky Sports Betting: 27 Betting Apps Could Launch
Each of the nine aforementioned betting entities can partner with up to three online operators. Thus, as many as 27 betting apps could operate in the state’s digital space when Kentucky sports betting goes live.
Kentucky became the 37 state to legalize sports betting in March. The bill states that sports betting rules must be finalized six months after the law goes into effect (June 28).
Caesars will limit betting to those over 21, despite the age limit being 18 in Kentucky.
Beshear is a long-time proponent of sports betting. Kentucky has roughly 4.5 million people. Six of the seven states that border it already have online betting: Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, and Tennessee. The seventh, Missouri, could approve betting this year, as well.
Kentucky Sports Betting Explained
Here is a look at some of the key elements of how sports betting will operate in Kentucky, including the rules on wagering on college sports.
The new Kentucky sports betting law calls for sports betting to be administered by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC). The commission is now responsible for creating the necessary regulations to implement and oversee betting. The law allows for bettors to use credit cards and “any other form of payment authorized” by the racing commission.
"The KHRC is dedicated to fulfilling its responsibilities in a timely manner while ensuring a successful implementation of sports wagering in Kentucky," a spokesperson told Bookies.com via email.
Wagering is allowed on professional sporting events, collegiate events sanctioned by the NCAA, amateur sporting events, international events such as the Olympics and World Cup, eSports and competitive iGaming, and any other events authorized by the racing commission.
The law bans “participants” in any of those events from betting on them, as well as track employees. Those “participants” include players, coaches, officials, family members, and those who own more than 5% of any of the teams participating who could have “influence” over players or coaches.
The statute also provides criminal felony penalties for anyone who tampers with the outcome of an event.
Each host track/licensee will have to pay a $500,000 fee to the state, plus an additional $50,000 per year to renew the license. Mobile operators will pay a 14.25% tax on adjusted gross winnings, while retail sites will pay 9.75% on their net revenues.
Sports betting will generate an estimated revenue increase of $23 million a year upon full implementation that will be dedicated to the Kentucky permanent pension fund and 2.5% to the problem gambling assistance account.
Who Are The Players In Kentucky Sports Betting?
Here are the nine operators that will be allowed to run retail sites in Kentucky. Each can partner with up to three mobile sportsbooks to provide online betting apps.
Kentucky 'A Sports-Crazy State'
Kentucky’s most populous county (Jefferson) includes Louisville. It borders Indiana at the Ohio River. Another cluster of Kentuckians live in suburban Cincinnati. Ohio sports betting went live on January 1.
Kentucky is a college sports hotbed but has no professional major league teams. But The Great American Ballpark, home of the Cincinnati Reds, and Paycor Stadium, home of the Bengals, lie just across the Ohio River from Covington. GeoComply processed over 295,000 geolocation checks in Kentucky during the opening weekend of March Madness. The company has processed 1.2 million attempted logins from Kentucky since March 1. Of those, 41% were for Ohio-based books and 38.6% were for books based in Indiana.
Downtown Nashville, home of the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators, is less than an hour’s drive from the Kentucky border.
“For years I believed it was time for Kentucky to join so many other states and pass sports betting,” Beshear said Friday after signing the bill. “We talk about having a competitive business climate, but we did not have an important business that nearly every state surrounding us has. Our dollars were supporting Indiana, West Virginia, Ohio, and other states.
“After years of urging action, sports betting will be legal in Kentucky. We made it happen. This industry will bring new jobs, tourism, and growth.”
Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer pushed the bill through to final passage with no time to spare. He estimates sports betting could bring $23 million to the state per year in tax revenue.
The bill’s fate was uncertain in the legislature given that a similar push had failed in 2022. It was believed a vote in the Senate would fall short, but the bill was brought to the floor late Thursday on the final day of the session by Thayer and passed by a 25-13 vote within 30 minutes. Twenty-three votes were needed for passage.
“We are a sports-crazy state,” Thayer said. “And people want to be able to make a choice of their own free will to make a wager on a sports event — like almost all our surrounding states.”
