LOUISVILLE, Ky. — According to an expert and a legislator who sponsored Kentucky’s sports betting bill, now law, the Commonwealth is likely to see sports wagering kick-off around the start of the NFL season, in early September.
“There's an 80% chance that we'll have sports betting at retail locations at Kentucky race tracks by the NFL kickoff,” Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, said.
There is a caveat to that progress, though — while brick-and-mortar sports betting may be up in running, launching online sports betting could take longer.
“From what I'm told, the online portion generally takes longer to launch,” Thayer said. “There's more back-of-house technology with the [apps].”
Steve Bittenbender, a writer for BetKentucky.com, said Kentucky may see online sports betting launch about a month after in-person sportsbooks.
“The applications have to be developed, and have to [look at] how they are to abide by the regulations going in place,” Bittenbender said. “There's a little work that has to be done there.”
Bittenbender noted Indiana saw a similar launch to its sports betting.
All of this hinges on the outcome of a special meeting on Monday at Lexington's Red Mile.
Members of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) will meet to review and possibly approve Kentucky’s sports betting regulations.
The state agency was given the regulatory responsibility to oversee the activity in the Commonwealth.
"What we're expecting to happen Monday is [KHRC] is going to review and approve sports betting regulations,” Bittenbender said. "It'll probably be some emergency or temporary regulations.”
Thayer said state law allows for what’s known as an emergency regulation process.
“[It’s] where an agency—in this case [KHRC]—can make a case that there is an emergency that exists and they can move forward at a more rapid pace without the normal review process,” Thayer said. “Apparently that’s what they’re doing in order to get the retail sportsbooks open at the racetracks by football season.”
While these emergency/temporary regulations are in effect, KHRC will continue to work on finalizing permanent ones.
“There may be some wording changes, depending on [certain] feedback,” Bittenbender said. “I wouldn't anticipate many changes, initially.”
In the bill legalizing sports-betting, HB 551, legislators offered the operators of Kentucky’s nine race tracks, exclusively, the opportunity to license as sports betting facilities.
Tracks have to pay a $500,000 upfront fee and an annual renewal cost of $50,000.
Participating tracks can contract with up to three service providers for sports wagering services at the track itself, or through online sites and mobile apps. Service providers would have to pay $50,000 for an initial license and $10,000 a year to renew.
So far, Thayer said, Keeneland and the Red Mile have partnered with Caesars Sportsbook and Churchill Downs has partnered with FanDuel.
Thayer also told WHAS11 Churchill Downs is set to partner with DraftKings as well.
“It's going to be all the big names and online sports betting providers, they all want to be in Kentucky,” Thayer said.
As for the markets those platforms will offer, Bittenbender said to expect “a wide array” of activities across all sports—professional and collegiate.
“Once online launches, people will be able to [wager] from the comfort of their house, from their local sports bar, from their car—wherever,” Bittenbender said. “They will not have to drive across the river across the state line to place an online bet anymore.”
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