Kentucky Horse Racing Commission Announces Sports Betting Launch Dates

In June 2023, the Kentucky State Senate passed the state's new sports betting legislation by a final vote of 25-12. Twenty-three (23) votes were needed for passage. Without pause, Governor Andy Beshear subsequently signed the bill into law, effectively making it legal for Kentucky residents to bet on sports from around the world.

Under the terms of the new law, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) was assigned regulatory responsibility over the sports betting community. The new law also authorized the KHTC to license both retail and online sports betting operators. At the same time, the start's robust horse racing industry was granted exclusive rights to control retail sports betting.

KHRC Announces Launch Date for Retail Sports Betting

As part of the regulatory process, it was left up to the KHTC to decide when sports betting would launch. To the delight of avid Kentucky sports bettors, a launch date of September 7, 2023, has been announced. It was further announced that mobile/online sports betting would likely get the green light three (3) weeks later on September 28.

This was exciting news since September 7 is the first day of the NFL regular season. That Thursday night, the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs will be hosting the upstart Detroit Lions. It's expected that retail sports betting sites will start taking sports bets that morning as early as 6:00 am ET.

Here is a list of locations where Kentucky residents and visitors will be able to place in-person retail wagers:

• Ellis Park in Henderson Kentucky (owned by Churchill Downs Inc)
  
• Turfway Park in Florence Kentucky (owned by Churchill Downs Inc)
  
• Derby City Gaming Casino in Louisville Kentucky (owned by Churchill Downs Inc)
  
• TBD Casino in downtown Louisville Kentucky (owned by Churchill Downs Inc)
  
• Red Mile Gaming and Racing in Lexington Kentucky(owned by Keenland and Lexington Trots Breeders Assoc.
  

Wagering Guidelines

Sports bettors in Kentucky will need to meet the state's minimum online gambling age requirement of 21 years old or over. Wagering accounts (retail and eventually online/mobile) will need to be opened in person at one of the aforementioned locations.

At this time, betting sites affiliated with Churchill Down will be offering sports betting access with Fanduel as the primary operator. Keenland has signed a partnership agreement with Caesars Sportsbook. Additional sports betting skins could be made available when online/mobile betting launches.

Kentucky sports bettors can expect to get access to sports betting markets from all over the world. From the U.S., that is expected to include major betting markets like the NHL, NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLS (soccer), MLB, PGA Golf, and NASCAR, plus college sports like baseball, football, and basketball (men's and women's).

Available international betting markets are expected to include major international soccer leagues like the English Premier League (EPL), Aussie Rules Football, and the Canadian Football League. Other sports betting markets could include motorsports (Formula One), darts, cycling, rugby, boxing/MMA, tennis, golf, baseball (Japan and Korea), international professional basketball leagues, and special events like the Olympics and World Cup Soccer.