More than 60,000 online sportsbook accounts have already been created by Kentucky sports bettors in preparation for the Sept. 28 launch of online esports and sports betting, the governor said on Sept. 21.
Pre-registration on the apps began on Aug. 28.
The statement today by Gov. Andy Beshear said Kentucky online sports bettors pre-registered with the following legal online gambling operators:
- Barstool Sportsbook
- Bet365
- BetMGM
- Caesars
- DraftKings
- Fanatics
- FanDuel
Emails sent to Bonus from the offices of Beshear and the gaming regulator, Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC), also said:
Circa Sports Kentucky has been licensed by the KHRC and plans to launch a mobile application later this year.
Beshear added that Kentucky retail sportsbook wagers total more than $4.5 million since land-based bets began on Sept. 7.
The governor placed the first wager at 10 a.m. on Sept. 7 at the Churchill Downs Racetrack.
Beshear said today of the $4.5 million in wagers:
This is a strong number that certainly reflects the excitement Kentuckians have for the opening of sports wagering. With college football and the NFL season underway, plus the launch of mobile wagering, we expect that number will grow significantly
Meanwhile, Kentucky’s portion of the wagers will also grow when online sportsbooks launch. That’s because retail sportsbooks pay 9.75% in taxes “on the adjusted gross revenues on wagers,” and online gambling operators carve out 14.25%.
Once sports betting gets rolling, Beshear expects tax revenue to total $23 million annually.
Kentucky Online Sports Bettors Have Options
Kentucky online sports bettors and retail wagerers have regulator-approved bets that span almost three pages. They come recommended by the Sports Wagering Advisory Council (SWAC). KHRC Executive Director Jamie Eads also approved the recommendations on Aug. 31, making them “effective subject to ratification” of the KHRC’s full meeting in October.
The catalog includes esports bets available on video gaming tournaments, including: Call of Duty League, Counterstrike Global Offensive (CS:GO), League of Legends (LoL), Dota 2, NBA 2k League, Overwatch League, Rainbow 6, and Valorant.
Today, SWAC added a recommendation for the gaming regulator to add the following events to the catalog:
- Formula 1 racing
- National Rugby League, Australia
- Professional Fighters League, MMA
- Bellator, MMA
- Universal Tennis League
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