Sports activities Betting In Kentucky Might Be Dwell By NFL Season

If Gov. Andy Beshear will get his means, Kentucky sports activities betting will launch in time for the soccer season.

Throughout a gathering this week, the Kentucky Horse Racing Fee acknowledged it’s engaged on sports activities betting rules. The hope is to have rules largely prepared for when the KY sports activities betting regulation goes into impact in June.

Throughout a press convention earlier this month, Beshear said he desires sports activities betting to start out for NFL betting this yr. Whereas the KHRC didn’t recommend a go-live date, a number of sources advised LSR it’s potential Kentucky sportsbooks can be dwell by the soccer season. The regulation says sports activities betting should be “absolutely purposeful” inside six months of the efficient date, so a launch earlier than the brand new yr is all however inevitable.

Is there precedent for such a fast launch? 

Beshear signed the laws March 31, which supplies the market roughly 5 months to organize to hit the aim. Whereas a launch in time for the Sept. 7 NFL kickoff is speedy, the spring-to-fall turnaround shouldn’t be unparalleled, particularly as of late. 

Final yr, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed sports activities betting into regulation on Might 12, 2022. Sportsbooks started taking bets Sept. 1, 2022.

Likewise, Arizona sportsbooks had been ready to go surfing Sept. 9, 2021, 5 months after Gov. Doug Ducey signed the state’s sports activities betting laws into regulation in April 2021.

What licenses can be found for KY sports activities betting

The sports activities betting laws runs all sports activities betting licenses by means of the horse racing tracks within the state, which ought to expedite the method:

  • Churchill Downs
  • Cumberland Run (a brand new racing facility)
  • Ellis Park
  • Keeneland
  • Kentucky Downs
  • Oak Grove Racing and Gaming
  • Crimson Mile
  • Revolutionary Racing (facility beneath development)
  • Turfway Park

Every of these horse racing services can open in-person sportsbooks. They will additionally companion with as much as three on-line operators.

Which on-line sportsbooks can be Kentucky? 

With 27 operators, most important operators in US sports activities betting are prone to discover their means into the Bluegrass State. 

The highest-two operators, DraftKings and FanDuel, just lately signed offers with Churchill Downs Inc. to combine horse racing into their apps. CDI, in the meantime, exited its personal on-line sports activities betting aspirations final yr.

Caesars additionally has its horse racing app lively in Kentucky.