The march to legal sports betting in Kentucky passed another milestone earlier this month with an announcement from Caesars Sportsbook Kentucky outlining its plans to partner with Keeneland and Red Mile Gaming & Racing in the launch of sports betting apps and retail sportsbooks at their respective locations in Lexington.
The partnership is the first to include both mobile sports betting and retail sportsbooks since Governor Andy Beshear signed House Bill 551 in late March. With the passage of the Kentucky sports betting law, the Bluegrass State became the 37th state to legalize sports betting sites and brick-and-mortar sportsbooks.
When Will Sports Betting Be Available In Kentucky?
As part of the Kentucky sports betting law, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission will oversee the rollout of all sportsbooks -- retail and online -- in the state.
While the Caesars Sportsbook Kentucky announcement is welcome news, it represents just the first step in what is expected to be a busy ramp up to launch. The hope is for Kentucky sports betting to launch before the end of 2023, in time for the start of the NFL Playoffs.
This month's announcement also follows a recent move by DraftKings to partner with Churchill Downs to release DK Horse, its horse racing betting app, just prior to the running of the 149th Kentucky Derby -- a race that Mage won.
The future launch of top sports betting sites and retail sportsbooks means that Kentucky sports betting promos are available for Kentucky sports bettors, who have been forced to cross state lines into neighboring Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia to take advantage of legal sportsbooks.
How Sports Betting Will Work In Kentucky
Under the terms of the Kentucky sports betting legislation, the minimum sports betting age is set at 18 years old. However, according to a recent announcement by Caesars Sportsbook Kentucky, this top sports betting site will limit the minimum age to bet to 21 years old.
Sports betting licenses will be made available to Kentucky's nine horse racing venues. The law allows for three online skins per track, blazing the trail for the opening of up to 27 sports betting apps. These are sure to be the top credit card betting sites and PayPal betting sites in the Bluegrass State. BetMGM Kentucky will be one of these sportsbooks, but we will have to wait and see who the King of Sportsbooks ultimately partners with.
The sports betting law also allows for each racetrack to open a retail sportsbook. And with top sportsbooks expected to show interest in opening for business in the state, Kentucky sports bettors will have a variety of sports betting sites and app to choose from.
Professional And College Sports Betting Available
Kentucky's new sports betting law will make wagering available on both professional and college sports. That opens the door for college basketball betting fans to get in on the all the action as the state's seven NCAA squads look to climb the March Madness odds, including the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, and Murray State Racers.
Of course, there will be no shortage of opportunities for Kentucky sports bettors to back their favorite pro sports teams as well. As top sports betting apps roll out across the state, fans will have access to a wide selection of competitive NBA odds, MLB odds, NHL odds, and, of course, NFL betting options like NFL player props, NFL futures, and Super Bowl odds.
Stay tuned for more Kentucky sports betting updates as we inch closer to the launch of Kentucky sportsbooks.
