FRANKFORT, Ky. — Sports wagering, which was legalized by the General Assembly earlier this year, begins Thursday at 12 brick-and-mortar licensed retail facilities across Kentucky, while the use of approved mobile apps won’t begin until Sept. 28. (Oak Grove Racing, Gaming and Hotel is among the 12 retail sites.)
Gov. Andy Beshear said he’s looking forward to Thursday morning. “I’ll be excited to be at Churchill Downs, a little before 10 a.m., to make the first bet. Everything is ready, although there have been some tracks having to do last minutes work to be ready to take them.”
He will also visit the Red Mile in Lexington at 1:30 p.m., where he will be joined by Caesars Sportsbook, Keeneland and Red Mile Gaming & Racing, for a ribbon-cutting and ceremonial bet event for the grand opening of Caesars Sportsbook at Red Mile.
Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman will head to northern Kentucky to be with local leaders and Turfway Park and Newport Racing & Gaming executives at 10 a.m. for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and to place the first bet.
Among the sports Kentuckians can wager on from the catalog that was approved a week ago by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission’s (KHRC) Sports Wagering Advisory Council are:
- The National Football League (NFL)
- Major League Baseball (MLB)
- National Basketball Association (NBA)
- Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA)
- NCAA baseball, softball, basketball, football and hockey
When asked what he will put his money on when he places the state’s initial wager, Beshear replied, “I’ll announce it then. But you can bet I will likely support our in-state schools and root against Duke.”
The Kentucky Baptist Convention opposed the sports betting bill.
“We’re not against it because we want to keep folks from having fun or having what is sold to us as innocent and harmless entertainment. We oppose it because we see the dangers,” KBC Executive Director Todd Gray told lawmakers in March. “We recognize expanded gambling preys on poor people. It’s often the poorest people of our communities who are most vulnerable to the slick advertisement and the promise that Draft Kings puts out and Fan Duel puts out, about getting rich quick.”
Tom Latek has been the Frankfort correspondent for Kentucky Today, the online news website of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, since 2016. Previously, he covered news for radio and television stations in Frankfort, Lexington, and Louisville.
