
Kentucky online sports betting officially launches at 6 a.m. on Sept. 28 but the governor said on Aug. 17 that those sportsbooks will accept pre-registration at 6 a.m. on Aug. 28.
That Monday is 11 days away.
In the video message Gov. Andy Beshear released today, he first talked about in-person wagering launching at 10 a.m. on Sept. 7 at land-based sportsbooks:
The countdown is on. Three weeks to sports betting.
Beshear provided a timeline for legal retail and mobile esports and sports betting to debut.
The first step is the regulator – the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) – voting on Tuesday. That vote will decide whether the seven sportsbook license applicants and the seven racetracks that want to house retail sportsbooks can offer sports betting to Kentuckians.
Kentucky officials expect esports and sports betting to generate $23 million a year in tax revenue. That’s based on online Kentucky sportsbooks being taxed at 14.25% and retail sportsbooks paying a 9.75% tax rate.
Kentucky Online Sports Betting Timeline
According to the Beshear and KHRC announcements today, there are seven online gambling operators applying to offer esports and sports betting.
On Tuesday, the regulator will decide whether to approve the following applicants:
- Bet365
- BetMGM
- Caesars
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
- Circa
- Penn Sports Interactive (which will launch ESPN Bet)
After that, esports and sports bettors can begin to take action.
Beshear and the regulator named the dates below:
- 6 a.m. on Aug. 28, “Kentuckians can pre-register an account with approved mobile applications.” The benefit is gamblers can get into their accounts quickly because launch-day-only registrations in other states have sometimes caused site crashes or slow onboarding. The announcement was gentler: “Allowing pre-registration eases strains on electronic systems that can sometimes happen when many people try to register at once.”
- 6 a.m. on Sept. 7, pre-registered gamblers can deposit money into the apps.
- 6 a.m. on Sept. 28, online sports betting begins.
Retail Sportsbooks Launch Before NFL Kickoff
Beshear wished for sportsbooks to launch at the beginning of the NFL season. It appears that’s happening for retail esports and sports betting.
Meanwhile, Beshear’s update had only one step for in-person bettors to take:
Thursday, Sept. 7, at 10 a.m. EDT: Wagerers can place an in-person bet at licensed retail facilities.
However, regulators first have to vote on Tuesday regarding whether retail sportsbooks can open at these racetracks:
- Churchill Downs, Louisville
- Cumberland Run, “coming soon” to Corbin
- Ellis Park, Henderson
- Oak Grove Gaming and Racing, Oak Grove
- The Red Mile, Lexington
- Sandy’s Gaming and Racing, “coming soon” to Ashland
- Turfway Park, Florence
To put the timeline in perspective, Beshear signed esports and sports betting into law on March 31.
Beshear said in today’s video:
Many said it would never happen. And guess what? We got it done.