The timeline for sports betting in Kentucky was released Monday and should be up and going in time for the kickoff of the NFL and college football season.
Gov. Andy Beshear joined the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and lawmakers Monday morning to announce that Kentuckians can make their first-ever sports bets in Kentucky in less than 60 days.
The announcement followed the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission meeting, where members unanimously approved emergency administrative regulations that will govern sports wagering.
Oak Grove Gaming and Racing will be one of 14 venues statewide that will be set to open on Thursday, Sept. 7. Mobile applications such as Draft Kings and Fan Duel will open for Kentuckians on Sept. 28. Currently, Kentucky residents have to slip across the border to Tennessee and Indiana to place online bets on sports.
Starting Tuesday, each of Kentucky’s licensed horseracing facilities can apply for a retail sportsbook at their main location or at a licensed satellite location. The state anticipates that each facility will open a retail location, and many will be ready to launch on Sept. 7.
Each licensed facility will also be permitted to partner with up to three marketing platforms for mobile wagering, to be launched on Sept. 28.
In addition to Oak Grove, sites approved include Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ellis Park in Henderson, and a satellite location in Owensboro, the Mint Gaming Hall in Bowling Green, and five in Louisville and Lexington.
Since House Bill 551 was passed in the spring, the commission has met with representatives in states that have recently launched sports wagering, as well as industry experts, to learn from best practices and shared experiences. Kentucky chose a tiered implementation date, which was used in multiple states and allows for testing of policy and procedure before the full rollout that will include mobile applications.
In May, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission announced that it was hiring additional staff to prepare for the sports wagering launch. The commission is in the process of filling 14 new positions. Job titles range from management to auditing and compliance. Beshear said many positions have been filled, including the director of sports wagering, with others still progressing through the hiring process.
