“The national model has been to move towards sports wagering. Michael Meredith, a Republican from Oakland and primary sponsor of the bill, said the measure didn't include fantasy sports or online poker, which he referred to as iGaming, in order to make it easier to pass out of the legislature. We made it happen,” he said.īefore the new policy, betting on horse races was the only legal form of sports wagering in Kentucky. But now, after years of urging action, sports betting is finally going to be legal in Kentucky. “Our dollars were supporting Indiana, West Virginia, Ohio and other states. Though similar bills languished in the legislature for years, this year’s attempt cleared the conservative state Senate on the last day of this year’s lawmaking session.īeshear said at a press conference that the new law would make the commonwealth competitive with neighboring states that have already legalized sports betting.
The measure will allow racetracks to become licensed sports betting facilities and partner with established gambling companies like DraftKings and FanDuel. Andy Beshear signed House Bill 551 into law Friday. Sports wagering will soon be legal in Kentucky after Gov.
