When & Where You Can Bet Online In Kentucky Starting Thursday
When multiple operators begin accepting Kentucky‘s first legal sports wagers starting at 6 a.m. Thursday, it will mark the launch of the fourth digital sports betting jurisdiction in the U.S. in 2023. Seven operators have plans to launch their mobile platforms Thursday in the Bluegrass State, with an eighth licensed and coming later in the year.
Consumers can take advantage of more than $2,000 in bonus or matching bets, as well as an opportunity for a free team jersey. BetMGM will match losing first bets of up to $1,500, while Fanatics Sportsbook is giving away $150 in FanCash to be used toward a purchase of team gear.
It appears DraftKings is the only operator that will have a live event in Kentucky Thursday when it hosts Matt Jones from Kentucky Sports Radio at The Mint Gaming Hall in Williamsburg from 9 a.m.-noon. Most operators are running some sort of launch-day special on their platforms, and all are planning to take their first bets in the morning.
Kentucky lawmakers leveraged the state’s long relationship with horse racing and parimutuel wagering by designating horse tracks and OTBs as retail locations and allowing nine tracks to partner with as many as three digital operators.
Caesars Sportsbook, which is partnered with The Red Mile and Keeneland, opened its retail location at Lexington’s historic Red Mile racetrack three weeks ago and has seen growing interest in the digital side.
“It’s a culture that’s very into sports, very into racing, and really understands betting, so we’re very excited to go into it,” Caesars Sportsbook COO/Head of Sports Ken Fuchs told Sports Handle. “We’ve got great partners with Red Mile and Keeneland. We’re very happy with the early indicators we’ve seen around registrations and deposits and we couldn’t be more excited to go live early tomorrow morning.”
Caesars and four other sportsbooks will only allow those over the age of 21 to place bets, while bet365, DraftKings, and Circa Sportsbook, the latter of which has plans to launch later this year, will take bets from those 18+, the minimum wagering age established by the new state law.
Below is a look at what each platform will offer starting Thursday, and what time customers can begin wagering:
Launch-day plan: The platform will be available for bettors beginning Thursday morning.
Betting age: 21
Specials/promotions: Barstool Sportsbook will have launch-day offers available for new users beginning Thursday.
Retail partner: None
Launch-day plan: The platform will be available for bettors beginning Thursday morning.
Betting age: 18
Specials/promotions: Not available.
Retail partner: None
Launch-day plan: The platform will be available for bettors beginning at approximately 7 a.m. ET Thursday.
Betting age: 21
Specials/promotions: Two specials will be available to new BetMGM customers at launch. BetMGM will cover a losing first bet of up to $1,500, or new customers can bet $10 and instantly get $200 in bonus bets in their account.
Retail partner: Sandy’s Racing and Gaming (opening later this year)
Launch-day plan: The platform will be available for bettors beginning “early morning” Thursday, according to a Caesars spokesperson.
Betting age: 21
Specials/promotions: New customers can take advantage of Caesars’ “Bet $50 and Get $250” in bonus bets. Players who bet $50 or more on a single wager will get a $50 account credit on the day the bet is placed and four $50 bonus bets weekly for four weeks.
Retail partner: The Red Mile
Launch-day plan: DraftKings has partnered with Kentucky Sports Radio host Matt Jones, and KSR will have live programming from 9 a.m.-noon Thursday. The broadcast will originate at the The Mint Gaming Hall Cumberland, and Jones will place the ceremonial first bet following the broadcast.
Betting age: 18
Specials/promotions: Ahead of launch, DraftKings is offering $200 in bonus bets to new customers. The bonus bets will be paid out in eight $25 bets.
Retail partner: The Mint Gaming Hall, Corbin and Williamsburg locations
Launch-day plan: Kentucky customers will be able to download the Fanatics app beginning at 6 a.m. ET Thursday.
Betting age: 21
Specials/promotions: New customer placing a single bet of $50 or more on any market with minimum -500 odds can get a rewards credit of up to $150 for sports-themed merchandise on Fanatics.com. To qualify, a wager must be placed between 9 a.m. ET Thursday and 11:59 p.m. ET Oct. 3, the Jersey Drop special is limited to one per customer, and the credit will expire five days after receipt. Any wager settled using the cash-out feature will not be deemed a qualifying wager.
Fanatics Sportsbook offers customers up to 5% back in FanCash on bets. Players get 1% back on straight bets and odds boosts, 3% back on parlays, and 5% back on same-game parlays.
Retail partner: None
Launch-day plan: The platform will be available for bettors beginning early Thursday morning.
Betting age: 21
Specials/promotions: FanDuel is offering new customers $100 in bonus bets ahead of launch. After launch, the company will switch to a promotion in which new customers who sign up and wager $5 will get $200 in bonus bets in their accounts. There will also be special offers available on local sports teams after launch.
Retail partner: Turfway Park
Coming soon
Launch date: Late 2023
Betting age: 18
Specials/promotions: The Circa platform is not yet available for signups.
