While online sports betting in Kentucky does not start until September 28, in-person sportsbooks will remain open until then as it is now legal to wager in Kentucky. There was plenty of fanfare across the state, including a barnstorming tour by Gov. Andy Beshear.
With NFL betting starting in earnest tonight and plenty of Kentucky college football action to hit this weekend, the Bluegrass State industry has nowhere to go but up.
Kentucky bettors can already create accounts and fund them with online Kentucky sportsbooks even before they go live later this month.
Gov. Andy Beshear placed two bets Thursday to open in-person sports betting in Kentucky. The ceremonial bets placed in Louisville, by both the governor and other celebrity guests, will not go into their personal pockets.
If the bets are winners, the funds will instead go to the Louisville Sports Commission, according to the AP.
Only in-person sports betting launched today in Kentucky, but bettors in Kentucky can register and deposit into online accounts today. Online sportsbooks can go live September 28.
These sportsbooks are lined up for launch this fall:
- Bet365
- BetMGM
- Caesars
- DraftKings
- Circa Sports
- Fanatics Sportsbook
- FanDuel
- ESPN Bet
After kicking the day off in Louisville at Churchill Downs, Gov. Andy Beshear made it to Lexington for his 1:30 pm ribbon cutting at Red Mile Racing.
Along with his college football bets in Louisville, Beshear placed a bet on Kentucky men’s basketball to win the NCAA National Championship.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg placed his first bet at the Churchill Downs Race & Sports Book Thursday afternoon.
The Mayor placed a two-pick parlay for both Louisville and Kentucky to cover their point spreads this weekend.
With its in-person sportsbook now open at The Red Mile, Caesars is promoting a sign-up special in Kentucky until September 27, the day before online sports betting in the state begins.
Users can deposit $20 this month and receive $100 in bonus bets, distributed as weekly $25 wagers, once online wagering is live.
Around the same time, Gov. Andy Beshear tweeted another video celebrating the launch of Kentucky sports betting, the Associated Press reported a spokesperson for his competitor in the 2024 election, Attorney General Daniel Cameron, claimed the governor was taking undue credit for legalizing sports betting. In the same AP report, Beshear denied the accusation.
“They all know the truth,” Beshear said. “It’s just an election season. But why don’t we all just be happy today. Sports betting is legal in Kentucky. Let’s not play politics with it.”
After all, the legalization required bipartisan support in the Republican-controlled legislature as well as Beshear’s signature.
Kentucky news channels were spread across several in-person sportsbooks this morning.
Even though the lawmakers placing ceremonial first bets are dispersing, the channels, like LEX 18, appear to be set up live for the afternoon.
Several sources on the ground in Kentucky tell LSR‘s Jim Gazzale that in-person Kentucky sports betting is running well so far.
That includes sources at both Churchill Downs and Red Mile Gaming, where key lawmakers made appearances this morning to place the state’s first bets.
In Gov. Andy Beshear’s release this afternoon, there was also a comment from Public Protection Cabinet Secretary Ray Perry about responsible gambling.
“Protecting Kentucky’s bettors is our number one priority, that and providing the best customer experience. Thanks to an extremely dedicated team, we are meeting those goals on an ambitious timeline,” Perry said.
Kentucky law sends 2.5% of sports betting tax revenue to the Problem Gambling Assistance Fund.
Kentucky Horse Racing Commission Chairman Jonathan Rabinowitz celebrated Thursday’s in-person Kentucky sports betting launch in a release from Gov. Andy Beshear’s office.
“The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) and the KHRC staff worked tirelessly to meet this challenge. The KHRC is dedicated to wagering integrity, and while we are celebrating today’s launch, our work continues,” Rabinowitz said.
Thursday’s debut makes Kentucky one of the fastest states to go from governor signature to live.
Kentucky regulators aimed to get in-person sports betting live in time for Thursday, the start of the NFL regular season. While bettors cannot place online bets until September 28, they can register and deposit with online sportsbooks.
Along with the opener for NFL betting, the Louisville football team takes on Murray State tonight. The home game for the Cardinals will bring thousands of Kentuckians near in-person sportsbooks in Louisville.
Likewise, the University of Kentucky plays Saturday at home in Lexington against Eastern Kentucky. With all four schools in Kentucky, there is bound to be decent Kentucky sports betting action on the matchups.
During his stop at Churchill Downs this morning, Gov. Andy Beshear highlighted the tax benefits of sports betting to Kentucky. However, a vast majority of that revenue will come from online sports betting, which doesn’t launch until September 28.
“Today is a great day to celebrate and have a little bit of fun doing so,” said Gov. Beshear. “It has taken many years to get here, but sports wagering is finally a reality in Kentucky. This is a win-win for Kentuckians, who can enjoy a quality entertainment experience and benefit from funds staying right here in our state to help us build a better Kentucky.”
While bettors cannot place mobile bets yet, they can register on the sites and deposit into Kentucky sports betting accounts.
Along with Republican legislators Rep. Michael Meredith and Sen. Damon Thayer, Democratic lawmakers Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson and Rep. Ruth Ann Palumbo made bets at Red Mile Gaming this morning.
Also in attendance at Red Mile was former Rep. Adam Koenig, who led the sports betting charge for multiple years before Meredith took over sponsorship.
Along with the initial sports catalog available for wagers, Kentuckians have plenty of options for their bets. In-person sportsbooks can offer:
- Same-game parlays
- Spreads
- Over-unders (totals)
- Moneylines
- Teasers
- Parlays
- Pools
- In-play bets
- Prop bets
Online sportsbooks will offer the same selections when they open September 28. Those sportsbooks cannot take bets now, but users can sign up and deposit into accounts.
With the first bet placed in Louisville, Beshear will head to Lexington, where he will take part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Red Mile Gaming, according to the Northern Kentucky Tribune.
The 1:30 pm event will include officials from Red Mile Gaming & Racing and Keeneland. It will be the official grand opening of the in-person Caesars Sportsbook.
Rep. Michael Meredith, who sponsored the sports betting bill this spring, spoke at Red Mile Gaming this morning ahead of placing one of the first bets in the state.
Rep. Michael Meredith’s HB 551 this spring set the minimum sports betting age in Kentucky at 18, which aligns with the state’s horse betting age limit.
While many sportsbooks will set their age limit at 21, several will go with the Kentucky law. That includes the in-person Race and Sports Books at Churchill Downs-owned facilities across the state.
Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman placed the first bet at Turfway Park Racing & Gaming, opting for a Cincinnati Bengals Super Bowl win.
Last week, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission approved the initial sports betting catalog for in-person sports wagering in Kentucky. Based on successful sports betting markets across the US, the catalog is fairly robust, but could see additions before the online launch September 28.
Perhaps most importantly, sports bettors can take part in NFL betting and NCAA football betting.
With the first bet in Kentucky history, Gov. Andy Beshear placed a three-leg parlay at the Race & Sports Book at Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville.
The $20 parlay included over bets on season win totals for University of Louisville and University of Kentucky football teams and under on Duke wins.
As the clock strikes 10 am in Kentucky, in-person sportsbooks can now legally take bets in Kentucky.
- Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville
- Cumberland Run in Corbin
- Derby City Gaming & Hotel in Louisville
- Ellis Park Racing & Gaming in Henderson
- Newport Racing & Gaming in Newport
- Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel in Oak Grove
- The Mint Gaming Halls in Bowling Green and Corbin
- The Red Mile in Lexington
- Turfway Park Racing and Gaming in Florence
Rep. Michael Meredith and Sen. Damon Thayer are at Red Mile Gaming in Lexington. The two legislators were significant supporters of the sports betting bill that passed in Kentucky this spring.
As ceremonial first bets are minutes away at in-person sportsbooks in Kentucky, online sportsbooks are also moments from their first deposits.
Still, online bets cannot be placed until September 28.
A wall of Kambi-powered kiosks below a massive video wall awaits visitors at the Race & Sports Book at Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville. Gov. Andy Beshear is approximately 20 minutes from placing the first bet in state history here.
Ahead of ceremonial first bets, various Kentucky media personalities are at sportsbooks across the state. Fox 19’s Candice Hare showed off Turfway Park’s sportsbook in multiple tweets. WKYT’s Phil Pendleton, meanwhile, tweeted out a picture of the Caesars’s counter at Red Mile Gaming.
As Gov. Andy Beshear plans to make the first legal bet in Kentucky history, he will forego his regular “Team Kentucky Update” press briefing.
Shortly after 9 am, Beshear posted a video talking about the day on his trip to Churchill Downs Racetrack, where he will place the first bet at 10 am.
While in-person sportsbooks can open in Kentucky today, bettors in the state will have to wait until September 28 to place online wagers.
Betting on a phone might still be nearly a month away, but beginning today at 10 am, users can begin depositing money into online sports betting accounts.
Users were able to register accounts with those sportsbooks August 28.
After months of waiting for legal sports betting, Kentucky bettors can place their bets at in-person sportsbooks across the state, beginning at 10 am EST. The launch coincides with the start of the NFL betting season as the Detroit Lions play the Kansas City Chiefs.
Gov. Andy Beshear will kick off the betting action, making the first bet at Churchill Downs in Louisville.
Here’s all you need to know about the start of in-person sports betting in Kentucky.
