Seven online sports betting sites will be ready on the first day of mobile event wagering in Kentucky.
Thursday is the official start date for the mobile component of Kentucky sports betting, and an update provided last week by Gov. Andy Beshear highlighted who will be there on the starting line.
According to the governor — a vocal supporter of legal sports betting who is in the midst of a re-election campaign — seven operators are launching on September 28 as early as 6 a.m. ET. They are:
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has also licensed Circa Sports, but the operator plans to launch in the state later this year. Additional bookmakers could join the market in the weeks and months to come, as the state’s wagering law allows for up to 27 mobile operators.
Champing at the bit
Kentucky residents can already create accounts with online sportsbooks and deposit money with operators; they just can’t bet using those apps and sites until Thursday. Beshear said last week that more than 60,000 mobile accounts were pre-registered in the state.
It’s worth noting, however, that some operators will allow sign-ups from residents aged 18 and up, while others will only allow 21 and older, as they do in other states. For instance, bet365 will accept customers who are 18, the minimum legal age for wagering on horse racing in Kentucky, but Caesars will not.
The mobile launch on Thursday morning in Kentucky will come a few weeks after sports betting officially began at brick-and-mortar racing and gaming facilities. Beshear said last week that more than $4.5 million was wagered in the state over its first few weeks of action, a figure which will likely be quickly surpassed by mobile wagering numbers.
“This is a strong number that certainly reflects the excitement Kentuckians have for the opening of sports wagering,” Beshear said in a press release. “With college football and the NFL season underway, plus the launch of mobile wagering, we expect that number will grow significantly.”
