Kentuckians keen to start legally using online sports betting sites can begin signing up for accounts before the end of August — but they will have to wait a whole month before they can wager.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear provided a more detailed timeline on Thursday for how legal sports betting will roll out in the Bluegrass State, including that residents can pre-register for mobile wagering accounts with approved operators as of 6 a.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 28.
“Allowing pre-registration eases strains on electronic systems that can sometimes happen when many people try to register at once,” a press release from the governor’s office stated.
Patience required
While Kentuckians can start signing up for mobile accounts later this month and begin depositing into those accounts on Sept. 7, they won’t be able to legally place sports wagers over the internet for several weeks.
The actual start of Kentucky sports betting will be the morning of Sept. 7, when brick-and-mortar facilities at tracks and associated locations can begin taking action. Mobile sports betting in the state isn’t scheduled to begin until Sept. 28.
“Kentucky chose a tiered implementation, which has been used in multiple states and which allows for testing of policies and procedures before the full rollout that includes mobile applications,” the release said.
Countdown is on
A list of where Kentuckians can get down a sports bet is slated for release following the Aug. 22 meeting of the state horse racing commission, although some well-known names are in the mix, such as Churchill Downs and FanDuel.
“We are just three weeks away from sports wagering in Kentucky,” Beshear said in the press release. “We are ready to deliver the quality entertainment experience Kentuckians asked for, while bringing money to the state to support pensions and free up funds that can be used to build a better Kentucky.”
