The state of Kentucky’s highly anticipated sports betting launch will take place in just a couple of months time. Retail sports betting and mobile sports betting is set to launch in September in The Bluegrass State.
Kentucky Sports Betting Given Green Light For September
After years of negotiations and deliberations, the state of Kentucky have finally legalised betting in the state.
Kentucky’s much-anticipated sports betting launch will take place in September. Governor of the state, Andy Beshear, announced that the introduction of sports betting in retail locations with begin on September 7, with mobile betting available three weeks later on September 28.
Beshear, amongst many other people, had been pushing hard for the legalisation of sports betting in The Bluegrass State for a significant period, signing House Bill 551 on March 31.
Sports betting across America has become legal in the majority of states, with Missouri the only state that borders Kentucky not to have yet legalised it.
Beshear had this to say on the legalisation of sports betting in Kentucky:
“Bringing sports wagering to the state not only gives Kentuckians a much-anticipated new form of entertainment but also brings money to the state to support pensions, freeing up money that can be used to build a better Kentucky through the funding of education, economic development, disaster recovery and other necessary projects, like providing cleaner water, building roads and high-speed internet.”
Legalisation Of Sports Wagering A Huge Positive For Kentucky Derby
With sports wagering launching in just over two months time now in The Bluegrass State, this is a huge positive for Churchill Downs racecourse and the Kentucky Derby.
Kentucky’s licensed horse racing facilities can apply for a retail sportsbook at their main location or at a licensed satellite location as of yesterday, July 11. On top of this, licensed horse racing facilities will be able to partner with three marketing platforms for mobile wagering.
This means that the likes of Newport Racing and Gaming in Newport, and Turfway Park in Florence are just some of the facilities that can begin to apply to be legal sports betting locations in the state.
Earlier this year, Churchill Downs released record wagering figures for the Kentucky Derby. A record amount of $288.7 (£233.9 million was hit by the Kentucky Derby Day programme this year, beating last year’s amount of $273.8m by $15 million.
Now that sports betting is legal in the state of Kentucky, expect these figures to grow even more ahead of next year’s Kentucky Derby race.
Paul has worked in sports as a writer ever since graduating from Liverpool John Moores University back in 2020, where he attained a First Class Honours Degree in Sports Journalism. Paul is comfortable writing about all sorts of different sports, but specifically specialises in boxing, golf, MMA, darts and horse racing. Paul's vast knowledge of worldwide sport means he is capable of covering almost any sport, including popular US sports such as NFL, NBA and MLB. Paul has years of experience covering sport for BBC Sport, as well as being a regular contributor at ESBR Boxing. Paul gained vital experience at BBC Radio 1 and Everton Football Club during his time at university, aiding his knowledge of the writing world. Paul has had the opportunity to attend big live sporting events and work as a reporter on numerous occasions. His experience writing on both live sports and sports betting content means he is comfortable with all aspects of sports reporting. As well as writing for Betting Sites, Paul's wealth of knowledge in a whole host of sports converts into writing in depth stories and providing reliable betting picks regularly.
