Kentucky Online and Retail Sports Betting Launch Scheduled For September

• At a special meeting of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, the commission announced a September start date for both retail/online sports betting.
• Kentucky retail sports betting scheduled for a Sept. 7 launch.
• Kentucky online sports betting scheduled for a Sept. 28 launch.

Gov. Andy Beshear (D) asked for Kentucky sports betting to begin by the upcoming football season and it seems like he’s going to get his wish.

During a special meeting of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC), Deputy General Counsel Travers Manley announced retail sports betting will begin in the Bluegrass State on Thursday, Sept. 7, while online sports betting will begin on Thursday, Sept. 28.

“Kentuckians may make their first ever sports bet in Kentucky 59 days from now,” Beshear said.

Beshear said he will be proud to make the first bet in the Commonwealth of Kentucky in September.

Tight Timeline to Launch

Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer (R-17) and Beshear both previously discussed their hopes for launching sports betting by the start of the football season and it seems like they’ll get their wish.

Thayer congratulated the KHRC and told Sports Betting Dime he’s pleased with the pace of sports betting so far.

“I’m pleased with the work by the KHRC on the sports betting rules. Fans are eager to place bets on sports and will be happy to get started with football season,” he said.

The NFL season begins on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 8:15 p.m. with the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football.

“For years I have believed that today was not only possible, but would happen. Virtually every state around us had done it, but again, against the odds with bipartisan support, we got through the finish line and we are here today to sign the emergency regulations to make this a reality,” Beshear said.

The KHRC approved the regulations unanimously and Beshear signed them immediately after the special meeting concluded. The commission will begin accepting retail sports betting license applications starting tomorrow.

The state’s nine license horse racing tracks will be able to apply for an operator license to offer online and brick-and-mortar sports betting. Each track will be able to partner with up to three licensed service providers, such as FanDuel Kentucky, to offer sports betting.

What Operators are Coming to Kentucky?

Several operators have already entered into partnerships with Kentucky tracks to offer sports betting. Caesars announced agreements with Keeneland and Red Mile Gaming and Racing in Lexington to grant Caesars Sportsbook market access for online sports betting. The agreement also includes plans to open the first brick-and-mortar retail sportsbook location in central Kentucky.

As part of the deal, Caesars Sportsbook will be an official sports betting partner of Keeneland and Red Mile. Caesars will also operate as an on-premise brick-and-mortar sportsbook at Red Mile.

“Keeneland and Red Mile are iconic horse racing venues with an important legacy in the state of Kentucky,” said Eric Hession, President of Caesars Digital, in a press release.

A FanDuel spokesperson recently confirmed the sports betting operator will partner with Churchill Downs for Kentucky sports betting market access. The spokesperson said the operator has made no additional announcements about future Kentucky sports betting plans and has no further comment at this time.

In April, Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen spoke with WDRB.com and said the famous track would be partnering with FanDuel Kentucky for its sports betting product.

“We have entered into contracts to provide certain online wagering platforms including FanDuel access to the Kentucky market in connection with which we receive a revenue stream,” Carstanjen said.

However, no confirmation of the deal was provided by FanDuel until last week.

It is almost certain that Kentucky sports bettors will also see DraftKings Kentucky in the Bluegrass state when sports betting is launched.

Betr CEO Joey Levy recently told Sports Betting Dime that the micro-betting specialist will be exploring opportunities to enter Kentucky as well.

BetMGM Kentucky, Barstool Sportsbook, WynnBET, bet365, Tipico, and Superbook are also good bets to make their way into the state.