Legal Kentucky Betting Sites

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Kentucky Sports Betting Overview

Legislation approved in March 2023 authorized three types of sports betting in Kentucky:

• Online sports betting
• Retail sportsbooks at race tracks
• Sportsbooks at off-track betting facilities (OTBs)

The Kentucky sports betting industry kicked off in September 2023, beginning with retail sportsbooks at race tracks. Online sports betting began two weeks later.

With more than three dozen licenses available and a reasonable tax rate, the Kentucky online sports betting market favors the consumer due to competition among providers in terms of pricing, betting bonuses, and overall customer experience.

Here are the main things bettors need to know about sports betting in Kentucky:

• Kentucky fans can bet on sports online through licensed betting sites and in-person at retail sportsbooks
• Fans must be 18 or older to bet on sports in Kentucky
• Some sportsbooks enforce a minimum age of 21 to participate
• Licensed Kentucky sportsbooks may offer wagers on professional, collegiate, Olympic, amateur, and esports events
• State law does not prohibit wagers on local college teams

Kentucky Sports Betting Apps

Online sportsbooks offer sports betting in Kentucky through partnerships with local race tracks.

Each race track may partner with third-party sports betting operators to launch up to three online sports betting apps, which leaves plenty of room for high-profile brands to enter the Kentucky market.

Multiple Kentucky betting apps launched simultaneously on day one, and bettors can expect more to come.

Below is a list of sports betting apps that are available in Kentucky:

• Bet365 Sportsbook
• BetMGM Sportsbook
• FanDuel Sportsbook
• Caesars Sportsbook
• Fanatics Sportsbook
• DraftKings Sportsbook
• ESPN Bet
• Circa Sports
• Prime Sports

Kentucky Sports Betting Bonuses

The competitive Kentucky online sports betting market incentivizes sportsbooks to offer attractive welcome bonuses and promotions.

Typical types of Kentucky betting bonuses include deposit match offers, second chance bets, and bonus bets for new users.

Some Kentucky online sportsbooks require new users to enter promo codes to claim welcome bonuses, but most issue bonuses to new users automatically.

Kentucky Sports Betting Promotion Regulations

State law requires online sportsbooks in Kentucky to describe bonuses thoroughly and in clear terms. 809 KAR 10:002 requires operators to ensure all promotional terms are “full, accurate, concise, transparent” and do not contain misleading information.

Specifically, Kentucky betting sites must unambiguously disclose the following promotional terms of every bonus:

• When the betting promotion begins and expires
• Rules of participation
• The nature and value of all bonuses and prizes
• Any eligibility restrictions or limitations
• Any betting restrictions or limitations
• Any bonus wagering requirements
• The order of funds used when placing wagers with active bonuses
• How the sportsbook notifies customers who receive bonuses and prizes
• All cancellation and opt-out terms

Kentucky sports betting apps may not describe any bonuses as “free” or “risk-free” if they require customers to incur any loss or risk to use or withdraw the winnings from any bonus bet.

Similarly, licensed sportsbooks may not limit the winnings customers can earn from promotions once they have met all of the offer’s terms.

Additionally, legal Kentucky online sportsbooks must retain records of all betting promotions they offer and issue to customers.

The best Kentucky sportsbooks have no issues adhering to these rules.

Kentucky Sports Betting Locations

Kentucky sports betting law allows horse race tracks and off-track betting facilities (OTBs) to apply for licenses to operate retail sportsbooks. Although Kentucky no longer has any standalone OTBs, the option to offer sports wagering may encourage their return.

Most Kentucky sportsbook locations began taking wagers on September 7^th, 2023.

Two other facilities still under construction have also received Kentucky sports betting licenses. The KHRC believes all eligible facilities will eventually open retail sportsbooks in Kentucky.

Louisville Sportsbooks

• Churchill Downs Race and Sportsbook
• Derby City Gaming Sportsbook

Lexington Sportsbooks

• Caesars Sportsbook at The Red Mile
• Caesars Sportsbook at Keeneland

Other Kentucky Retail Sportsbook Locations

• Corbin: DraftKings Sportsbook at The Mint Cumberland Run
• Florence: Turfway Park Sportsbook
• Ellis Park/Henderson/Owensboro: Starting Gate Sportsbook
• Newport: Newport Racing and Gaming Sportsbook
• Oak Grove: Oak Grove Gaming & Racing Sportsbook
• Williamsburg: The Mint Gaming Hall Cumberland Sportsbook
• Ashland: BetMGM Sportsbook at Sandy’s Gaming and Racing
• Franklin: Circa Sportsbook at Kentucky Downs
• Bowling Green: The Mint Gaming Hall

Kentucky Sports Betting Law

Kentucky legalized sports betting in March 2023 via HB 551. The law places the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) in charge of regulating sports betting, issuing licenses, and promulgating any additional regulations necessary to execute the law.

Under the law, Kentucky’s nine horse racing tracks may apply to the KHRC for licenses to offer in-person and online sports betting. Each racetrack may open a retail sportsbook and partner with third-party providers to launch up to three online sports betting sites.

Off-track betting facilities (OTBs) may also offer sports betting through agreements with licensed race tracks using the race tracks’ partner providers.

Key Points from Kentucky Sports Betting Law

• The Commission may issue up to 27 online sports betting licenses
• Licensed race tracks and OTBs may operate retail sportsbooks
• Licensed Kentucky sportsbooks may accept wagers from customers 18 and older
• Licensed sportsbooks may offer wagering on professional sports, collegiate sports, the Olympics, esports, and amateur events in which the majority of participants are at least 18 years of age
• Racetracks pay an initial sports betting licensing fee of $500,000; $50,000 annual renewal fee
• Sports betting service providers pay an application fee of $50,000; $10,000 annual renewal fee
• Retail sportsbooks pay a 9.75% tax on revenue
• Online sportsbooks pay a 14.25% tax on revenue
• 2.5% of Kentucky sports betting tax revenue is earmarked to support problem gambling initiatives

Regulations adopted by the KHRC provide detailed requirements for conducting sports betting in Kentucky safely, responsibly, and fairly.

Kentucky’s sports betting regulations emphasize consumer protection, which begins with the licensing criteria the KHRC considers when approving/denying applicants.

The KHRC subjects all Kentucky online sportsbooks to an intensive vetting process to determine if they:

• Are qualified and financially capable of offering sports betting
• Are capable of protecting customers from fraud and theft
• Will conduct sports betting in a manner that protects the public interest

A Note About the Kentucky Sports Betting Age Requirement

Kentucky is one of a handful of states where the minimum age to bet on sports is 18, not 21. Even so, many online sportsbooks implement a blanket policy of only accepting customers 21 or older regardless of local laws.

Below is a list of Kentucky betting sites that have confirmed whether their minimum age to bet online is 18 or 21.

BettingUSA will update this page to provide a complete list of every sportsbook’s minimum age for Kentucky residents.

• DraftKings Kentucky: 18+
• Bet365 Kentucky: 18+
• BetMGM Kentucky: 21+
• FanDuel Kentucky: 21+
• Caesars Sportsbook Kentucky: 21+
• Circa Sports Kentucky: 18+
• Fanatics Sportsbook Kentucky: 21+
• ESPN Bet Kentucky: 21+

Past Kentucky Sports Betting Efforts

Shortly after the Supreme Court overturned PASPA, Kentucky formed a bipartisan panel of six representatives and three senators to study legalization and craft sports betting legislation.

Lawmakers filed numerous pieces of legislation after the SCOTUS decision to legalize sports betting in Kentucky.

All early efforts to legalize Kentucky sports betting apps and retail sportsbooks were unsuccessful but demonstrated a clear desire among lawmakers to take advantage of the opportunity.

The outlook for legalization improved in 2020 when Governor Andy Beshear urged lawmakers to “be bold” and pass a bill to legalize sports betting.

It took nearly three years for lawmakers to send a sports betting bill to Governor Beshear, but they got it done in March 2023. He signed the bill shortly after receiving it to finally legalize sports betting in Kentucky.

Kentucky Daily Fantasy Sports

Although Kentucky does not regulate daily fantasy sports, all the nation’s most popular DFS apps accept Kentucky players. Kentucky’s lack of a regulatory framework means fantasy sports sites must self-regulate, so it’s critical that fans select trusted and proven DFS operators.

See our guide to fantasy sports in Kentucky for more information and recommendations:

• Kentucky Daily Fantasy Sports

Kentucky Horse Racing Betting

Kentucky, home of Churchill Downs and the famed Kentucky Derby, has a long and rich horse racing tradition.

Whether it is the climate and geography that makes for naturally strong horses as some claim or a tradition born of necessity at a time when parimutuel wagering was stifled elsewhere that makes Kentucky a horse racing bastion as others claim, the fact is the Bluegrass State houses some of the best horse racing in the world.

Today, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) oversees parimutuel wagering and horse racing across the state.

Multiple race tracks operate throughout Kentucky and the state hosts major events such as the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks, Clark Handicap, and Blue Grass Stakes.

Visitors to any of the state’s licensed race tracks may place wagers in-person or bet online through any of the several horse racing betting sites that are licensed in Kentucky.

• Kentucky Horse Racing Betting Sites

Kentucky Online Gambling

Kentucky has flirted with legalizing online poker sites, but legal online casinos still appear to be a long way off. Bills introduced in nearly every legislative session from 2019 through 2023 received widespread media coverage for their sports betting components, but most also included provisions to legalize online poker in Kentucky.

That was the case with a pair of Kentucky online poker bills introduced in the House and Senate 2023. Although the companion bills primarily dealt with sports betting, SB 73 and HB 106 included language that would have authorized online poker as follows:

• 18+ to play online poker in Kentucky
• $250,000 initial licensing fee for operators
• $10,000 annual renewal fee
• 6.75% tax on net poker revenue

The 2023 Kentucky poker bills mirrored 2020’s HB 137 in their proposed minimum age requirements, licensing fees, and tax rates. However, one section in the 2020 bill left the door open for expansion into online casino games down the road:

“The president, and the board, may conduct an ongoing study of the operation and administration of lotteries in other states or countries, of online poker and other forms of online gaming… with a view toward implementing improvements that will tend to serve the purposes of this chapter.”

Although none of Kentucky’s online poker proposals have succeeded in becoming law, lawmakers appear intent on pushing the issue until something gets through.

The about-face regarding online poker may come as a surprise for players who remember when Kentucky seized the domains of 141 offshore poker and gambling websites. Unlicensed gambling sites violate the law in all 50 states, but Kentucky was a frontrunner in proactively cracking down on offshore operators.

Today, Kentucky lawmakers are more interested in legalizing, regulating, and taxing online poker than in banning the activity altogether. However, pro-online poker proponents in Kentucky still face significant opposition from anti-gambling groups that lobby against legalization.

Kentucky Online Lottery

The Kentucky Lottery took its games online in April 2016 with little fanfare to keep up with the times. Kentucky Lottery CEO Arch Gleason explained the rationale behind the decision in simple terms:

“Our customers are aging, and in order to maintain our business, we need to be more attractive to a younger demographic who are accustomed to conducting a majority of their retail purchases online. This group is very mobile, and they expect brands to be accessible online and on their devices. We’re delivering what they want.”

Initially, the Kentucky Online Lottery launched with five instant play scratch-off games and access to the most popular draw games. Over time, the website added additional instant win games plus access to Powerball, Mega Millions, Keno, Cash Ball 225 and Lucky for Life.

State residents 18 and older with a valid KY address can play online by visiting the official Kentucky Lottery website at play.kylottery.com. From there, you can register for an account and then fund your online wallet via credit card, debit card or by visiting an authorized lottery retailer to purchase iGifts or iFunds.

Purchasing entries to draw games online is as simple as buying them in person. Once you have a funded online lottery account, you can log in from any device, choose your numbers and specify a number of entries to purchase.

The Kentucky Lottery’s instant win games work similarly to scratch cards that are sold across the state. Online scratch cards can be purchased for prices ranging from $0.50 to $10 and can pay as much as $150,000.

Kentucky Gambling Laws

Kentucky’s general gaming laws are covered by KY Rev Stat § 528.010-0.120 and prohibit most forms of gambling that are not expressly authorized by the state. In Kentucky, gambling is defined as follows:

  …staking or risking something of value upon the outcome of a contest, game, gaming scheme, or gaming device which is based upon an element of chance, in accord with an agreement or understanding that someone will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome…

Kentucky gambling law does not appear to target those who merely participate in unauthorized gambling, but the state does aggressively pursue those who organize illegal gambling games.

The crime of “promoting gambling” constitutes a chargeable offense under Kentucky law and the penalty depends on the amount of money involved.

Those who organize home poker games, act as bookmakers or otherwise profit from gambling activity can be charged for promoting gambling in the second degree, which is considered a Class A misdemeanor. If the unauthorized gambling activity takes in more than $500 in any one day, the offense is treated as a Class D felony.

State law does provide an exception for social gambling games, however, as long as all players compete on equal footing and the organizer does not earn a profit by indirect means such as charging an entry fee or selling food and drinks.

Kentucky Sports Betting FAQ