Kentucky regulators have given the green light to more than a dozen retail and online sports betting sites ahead of the scheduled launch of event wagering in the Bluegrass State early next month.
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) met Tuesday and approved legal sports betting licenses for 16 entities, including racetracks and online sportsbook operators.
Event wagering in the state will flow through its horse-racing facilities, which can partner with up to three providers of online sports betting apiece. For example, bet365 announced Tuesday a multi-year partnership with Sandy’s Gaming and Racing, which is set to open this fall in Ashland.
The online sportsbooks that received temporary licenses on Tuesday (which can convert to annual permits) and are now poised to launch in the state next month are:
- bet365
- BetMGM
- Caesars Sportsbook
- Circa
- DraftKings
- Fanatics
- FanDuel
- Barstool Sportsbook/ESPN Bet
Kentucky sports betting is scheduled to start for those 18 and older at 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, September 7, but only for in-person bets at licensed retail facilities.
Mobile sports betting will start in the state on September 28, but Kentuckians can pre-register for accounts on August 28 and deposit beginning September 7.
Here's a helpful table outlining exactly who is partnered with who for legal sports betting in Kentucky thus far (courtesy of the governor's office):https://t.co/iQK7t9pErK pic.twitter.com/oPb3iksXuK
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) August 22, 2023
“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,” a press release from Gov. Andy Beshear’s office stated last week.
The locations approved for retail sportsbooks as of Tuesday 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
There are a few boxes regulators need to check before sports betting can begin. One is approving a catalog of events that can be wagered on and what sort of bets are appropriate, which must happen before the September 7 launch of retail sports betting. Events can be added and subtracted to and from that catalog, but there must be an initial one at the very least.
“We are excited to open sports wagering on our target date as we continue working through this careful process dedicated to wagering integrity and protecting bettors in the state of Kentucky,” KHRC Chairman Jonathan Rabinowitz said in a press release.
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