Kentucky representative Michael Meredith has filed HB 551 that, if passed, would permit both retail and mobile sports betting to launch in the state.
Kentucky Lawmaker Files Bill to Legalize Retail and Mobile Sports Betting Kentucky Lawmaker Files Bill to Legalize Retail and Mobile Sports Betting, which would allow online poker and sports betting in the state. However, HB 551 does not make provisions for online poker or fantasy sports. Bill sponsor Michael Meredith believes that the omission of online poker will give his bill a better chance of passing through the House and Senate. Kentucky Lawmaker Files Bill to Legalize Retail and Mobile Sports Betting“This is about regulating something we already have in the state. If you look, the estimates are that there’s about $1bn each year in Kentucky illegally and unregulated. This bill will bring that into our regulated space, and it will also allow us to take advantage of the revenue that’s being derived in all of our border states right now.”
The Kentucky state senate’s legislative session closed in 2022 without no formal decision on sports betting legislation. In March, the 100-member House approved House Bill 606, sponsored by Rep. Adam Koenig, with a 58-30 vote. However, the bill met with opposition in the Senate.
Kentucky Lawmaker Files Bill to Legalize Retail and Mobile Sports Betting Kentucky Lawmaker Files Bill to Legalize Retail and Mobile Sports Betting have failed in the four previous years.Image credit: Don Sniegowski / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
