Sign-ups at sports betting sites have started in the Bluegrass State, as residents can pre-register for mobile accounts as of Monday morning.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced a detailed timeline for the rollout of legal sports betting in his state earlier this month, which included that those 18 and older (although some sites may require 21 or older) could begin pre-registering an account with approved mobile applications today at 6 a.m. ET.
While the online component of Kentucky sports betting will officially launch on September 28 at 6 a.m. ET, Kentuckians can now pre-register and at least position themselves to be ready to wager on Day One.
“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 noted last week.
Another important date for would-be Kentucky sports bettors is the start of legal sports betting in the state at brick-and-mortar racing and gaming facilities on September 7 at 10 a.m. ET, the same day residents can begin depositing money into their pre-registered mobile accounts.
What are the pre-registration offers?
Sportsbooks are offering welcome bonuses for new Kentucky customers from now until September 28, when they go live. Here are some of the best pre-launch offers available today in Kentucky:
- FanDuel: $100 in bonus bets + $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket
- DraftKings: $200 in bonus bets
- bet365: Bet $1, get $365 in bonus bets + $10 for every touchdown (Lions vs Pakcers)
- BetMGM: $100 in bonus bets
Who can you use?
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission approved temporary licenses for several online sportsbooks last week, putting them in a position to accept pre-registrations today and wagers on Sept. 28. They are:
The locations approved for retail sportsbooks thus far include:
- Churchill Downs in Louisville
- Ellis Park in Henderson
- The Red Mile in Lexington
- Derby City Gaming in Louisville
- The Mint Gaming Hall Cumberland Run in Corbin
- Newport Racing and Gaming in Newport
- Oak Grove Gaming and Racing in Oak Grove
- Turfway Park in Florence
The above locations could open their brick-and-mortar sportsbooks and start accepting bets as early as Sept. 7.
"Kentucky chose a tiered implementation, which has been used in multiple states and which allows for the testing of policies and procedures before the full rollout that includes mobile applications," last week's press release stated.
