Legal sports betting has finally launched in the state of Kentucky as Gov. Andy Beshear placed the first bet — a $20 parlay wager on two home-state college football teams and state rival Duke.
The first wager was placed at Churchill Downs just ahead of the NFL season opener. Beshear’s bet was a three-leg parlay on college football. He bet that the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville football teams will win more games than oddsmakers predict while the third leg of the wager was that Duke would win fewer football games than projected this season.
Speaking at the launch, Beshear said:
“This is entertainment. It’s what Kentuckians were looking for. It’s going to boost tourism. It’s going to make sure we don’t lose that many people to Vegas in the first couple rounds in the NCAA tournament.”
As expected, Beshear revealed that any winning from his wager will go directly to the Louisville Sports Commission.
Thursday also saw the opening of a betting facility in Lexington where state Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer also placed a wager saying:
“Starting today, no Kentuckian will ever have to take their hard-earned money to another state just to place a sports bet.”
Mobile sports betting in Kentucky is now set to launch on September 28th with eight sportsbook operators currently approved to launch online.
Approved sports betting license holders and partnering tracks
| Operator | Partnering Track/Location | Sports Betting Type | Launch Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kambi | Churchill Downs, Louisville Churchill Downs’ satellite location, Derby City Gaming, Louisville Ellis Park, Henderson Turfway Park, Florence Oak Grove, Oak Grove |
Retail | Sept 7th |
| DraftKings | The Mint Gaming Hall Cumberland Run, Corbin The Mint Gaming Hall Cumberland, Williamsburg |
Kentucky Governor Places First Wager as Sports Betting Launches
Sept 7th (mobile Sept 28th) | |
| Sandy’s Gaming and Racing, Ashland | Kentucky Governor Places First Wager as Sports Betting LaunchesTBD (mobile Sept 28th) | ||
| Caesars | Kentucky Governor Places First Wager as Sports Betting Launches Kentucky Governor Places First Wager as Sports Betting LaunchesSept 7th (mobile Sept 28th) | ||
| Fanatics | Oak Grove Gaming and Racing | Mobile | Sept 28th |
| Turfway Park, and its satellite location, Newport Racing and Gaming | Mobile | Sept 28th | |
| Penn Sports Interactive | Ellis Park, Henderson and Owensboro | Mobile | Sept 28th |
| Circa Sports | Cumberland Run | Mobile | Sept 28th |
| Bet365 | Sandy’s Gaming and Racing | Mobile | Sept 28th |
Image credit: Abbie Myers / CC BY-SA 4.0
