Kentucky Sports Betting

Timeline for sports betting in Kentucky

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear signed HB 551 into a law on March 31, 2023. Following the bill signing, there is a 3 month wait for the law to officially take effect on June 28, 2023. On June 29, Gov. Beshear mentioned plans for launching by the start of the upcoming NFL season. Once HB 551 is officially in place, the race for sports betting in Kentucky will reach the home stretch as top mobile sportsbook companies make plays for in-state licensing. Once the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, who was appointed the sports betting regulator, is confident that they're ready to go - they'll give the "OK" and online betting will commence in Kentucky. 

Overall, it's been recently announced that KY online sports betting will begin on September 28th, 2023, just in time for most of the NFL season. Physical sports betting at approved locations will launch on September 7th. 

18+ Betting Allowed in KY

Count Kentucky among a strong minority of states that has extended sports betting privileges to persons just eighteen and up. As the sports betting in the US has scaled up, 21 was adopted as a near-universal age requirement. However, KY has bucked that trend. Why you might ask? It comes down to horse racing. Kentucky has a strong horse racing tradition and the legal betting age for horse racing is 18. Therefore, regulators felt it didn't make sense for horse racing to have a lower age of entry than sports betting. 

Keep an eye on each specific online sportsbook in Kentucky, though. While they may be legally allowed to offer betting to those 18+, sportsbooks won't have to accept younger customers. KY online sportsbooks, and their renewed focus on responsible gaming, may still elect to set their apps to 21+.

Online Sportsbooks in Kentucky

Kentucky will soon be home to as many as 27 different KY online sports betting apps. There are currently nine horse racing tracks in the state of Kentucky, and each is now eligible to host as many as 3 online sports betting skins. While we're still waiting for the landscape of sports betting in KY to become clear, we do have some information. The following online sportsbooks have solidified and announced their plans for KY:

Caesars Sportsbook KY

Caesars Sportsbook will bring its exceptional sports betting app to Kentucky through a market access agreement with the Red Mile and Keeneland race tracks. Notably, Caesars has stated that they will only allow customers who are 21+ to bet through them, despite the legal age for KY betting being set at just 18.

BetMGM Sportsbook KY

BetMGM Sportsbook will be joining Caesars thanks to a market access agreement with Revolutionary Racing Kentucky! Of course, BetMGM will provide their online sportsbook in Kentucky, but there also will be a massive retail sportsbook in Ashland. 

Stay tuned for more updates!

Kentucky Sports Betting Background

The legalization of sports betting in Kentucky has been a multi-year journey. Let's take a look at the process that led to HB 551, which delivered online sports betting to Kentucky.

2023

2023 saw representatives like Rep. Michael Meredith propose new sports betting bills after a collective failure to legalize the practice four years and counting. Fifth time's the charm, as HB 551 was able to get enough signatures on both sides of the aisle to advance, and was signed into law by Governor Andy Beshear in early April 2023. 

Now, all that's left to do is for regulators at the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission to issue online sports betting licenses to eligible operators. That can take some time: we'll keep you up to date on when you can bet online in KY right here.

In late June, Gov. Beshear announced plans of launching sports betting in Kentucky by the start of the upcoming NFL season, which would be Sept. 7, 2023.

2022

The Kentucky General Assembly ended its 2022 session in mid-April without passing a bill to legalize sports betting, despite support from Gov. Andy Beshear and leadership in both chambers. It’s the fourth year in a row where legislation has fallen short, and passing a bill next year will be even harder.

Rep. Adam Koenig’s bill would have legalized retail and online sports betting through racetracks and casinos and generated an estimated $22.5 million in annual revenue for the state.

It passed the house in March but failed to get enough Republican support in the Senate. With most Senate Democrats on board, there appeared to be enough Senate Republicans in favor to meet the 20-vote threshold for passage. The Kentucky GOP typically doesn’t vote unless there’s consensus among themselves, and sources close to the legislature said they came up just four votes shy of meeting that majority. Lawmakers were forced wave the white flag for 2022.

Most of Kentucky’s neighbor states have already legalized sports betting. More than a third of Kentucky counties border its legal neighbor states, which is about 2.4 million people. Last year those states made a combined $173.1 million off sports betting taxes—about $34 million a state.

While Kentucky is yet to be home to a professional sports team, it has no shortage of college teams to bet on:

College Sports Teams in KY

Kentucky is a hub for college basketball and football. The Kentucky Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals consistently field great teams –– which allows for interesting bet opportunities.

College Football Betting in KY

Kentucky is often overshadowed in college football circles by neighbors Louisiana and Alabama, but the Bluegrass State is on the rise. Kentucky has been a rising force in the SEC with Mark Stoops at the helm, and Louisville is showing signs of life in the ACC. Plus, there are a number of smaller schools sprinkled throughout the state that will be available for college football betting in the state.

Kentucky Wildcats Football

While not the university's most successful program, Kentucky football has built a decent program over the last few decades. They also boast a proud history. Remember Paul "Bear" Bryant? Well before Bryant won six National Championships at Alabama, he coached the Wildcats for eight seasons.

The Wildcats have a 638-635-44 all-time record and a 12-9 bowl record. They claim one National Championship (1950) and have a four-game bowl win streak since winning the Citrus Bowl in the 2018 season. They're led by coach Mark Stoops –– who landed them the 13th best recruiting class in 2022.

Kentucky Wildcats Odds

Louisville Cardinals Football

Johnny Unitas, Lamar Jackson, Jay Gruden and Teddy Bridgewater. These are just a few names that donned red and black jerseys during their college days. The Cardinals have both historic and recent success.

Louisville had a Heisman-winning quarterback and a top 10 ranking most of the season in 2016 –– which was one of the best years in program history. Since then, they've been through coaching changes and a slight rebuild. Since coach Scott Satterfield took over in 2019, the Cardinals have an 18-19 record with two bowl appearances. 

Louisville Cardinals Odds

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Football

With coaches like Jack Harbaugh, Willie Taggart, Bobby Petrino and Jeff Brohm all coaching the Hilltoppers at some point in their careers, Western Kentucky serves as a launching point for great coaching careers. In turn, this has brought the program a lot of success over the years. The Hilltoppers have a 587-409-31 all-time record, a 9-5 bowl record and an FCS National Championship win in 2002.

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Odds

Eastern Kentucky Colonels Football

The Eastern Kentucky Colonels are located in Richmond, Kentucky, and play their home games at Roy Kidd Stadium. They compete in the Division I FCS division and joined the ASUN conference in 2021. They have a 602-386-38 all-time record and a 4-3 record in bowls. They claim two FCS National Championships, one in 1979 and the other in 1982

Eastern Kentucky Colonels Odds

College Basketball Betting in Kentucky

Kentucky, at its core, is a basketball state. The Wildcats are second to UCLA in Mens Basketball National Titles with 8, and Louisville has had been excellent over the years.

Kentucky Wildcats Men's Basketball

The winningest team in college basketball history resides in Lexington, Kentucky, at Rupp Arena. The Wildcats are the pinnacle of college hoops success. They have 2,327 wins, the all-time greatest winning percentage (.765), eight National Titles and are consistently on top of the recruiting rankings.

They're led by coach John Calipari. Calipari is the 17th winningest head coach in college basketball history and has four––six if you count the vacated ones –– Final Four appearances. Their 2022 team is currently a top-10 team, making them a safe team to bet on.

Kentucky Wildcats Odds

Louisville Cardinals Men's Basketball

Despite a constant overshadowing by their neighbors in Lexington, the Cardinals are one of the most decorated college hoops programs in Division I. They technically have two National Titles since their third win (in 2013) was vacated.

The Cardinals are going through growing pains in 2022. Former Xavier coach Chris Mack coached the Cardinals from 2018 to 2022, but was let go in January 2022. Mike Pegues is their interim coach. 

Louisville Cardinals Odds

Murray State Racers Men's Basketball

True to the state's horse racing background, the Murray State Racers are a team that can get hot at any moment. They have 17 NCAA tournament appearances and a slew of All-American players in their team's history. Most notably, 2019 NBA second overall pick Ja Morant played for Murray State, proving that top talent can wind up in Murray, Kentucky.

Murray State Racers Odds

Other Events

Horse Racing

Each May, thousands of people flock to the Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky, for the world-famous Kentucky Derby. The most talented Thoroughbred horses in the world compete in the one and one-fourth mile-long race. Because of this, a ridiculous amount of bets are placed on it. 2021 saw $155.4 million in total bets placed on the race. Horse gambling is legal in Kentucky, so betters can easily gamble on which horse they think will win.

2022 Kentucky Derby Futures Odds & Prep Races