Gov. Andy Beshear has announced the temporary sports betting licenses for sports wagering operators and service providers ahead of the launch of Kentucky sports betting.
A temporary license allows an operator to operate in the state for up to one year, with the KHRC keeping each operator ‘under continued review’. This is the first look for Kentuckians at where they can place a retail bet, as well as which online sports betting sites will be ready when they launch.
The first retail bet can be taken from September 7, 2023 at 10am EDT. In under a week, on Monday 28 August, 2023, residents are able to pre-register an account with any of the pre-approved mobile applications. In addition, at 6am EDT on September 7, 2023, bettors will be permitted to deposit into pre-registered mobile accounts prior to the online sports betting launch on Thursday 28 September, 2023.
The following Kentucky racetracks and associated OTBs have been approved to open a sportsbook on September 7:
- Churchill Downs, Louisville
- Derby City Gaming, Louisville
- Ellis Park, Henderson
- The Mint Gaming Hall Cumberland Run, Corbin
- The Mint Gaming Hall Cumberland, Williamsburg
- Newport Racing and Gaming, Newport
- Oak Grove Gaming and Racing, Oak Grove
- The Red Mile, Lexington
- Turfway Park, Florence.
In addition, the following were approved “with facilities coming soon”:
- Derby City Gaming, coming soon to downtown Louisville
- Ellis Park, coming soon to Owensbro
- Sandy’s Gaming and Racing, coming soon to Ashland.
On top of unveiling retail locations, the KHRC has approved temporary licenses for the following nine mobile wagering providers:
- Bet365
- BetMGM
- Caesars
- Circa
- DraftKings
- Fanatics
- FanDuel
- Penn Sports Interactive
In addition, Kambi has been approved as a service provider for retail operations but will not have a mobile application.
“The countdown continues as we move closer to sports wagering with retail locations opening in just 16 days,” said Gov. Andy Beshear. “Thank you to the KHRC commissioners for their dedication to getting this done right and getting it done in time for the opening of the NFL season.”
“We are excited to open sports wagering on our target date as we continue working through this careful process dedicated to wagering integrity and protecting bettors in the state of Kentucky,” said KHRC Chairman Jonathan Rabinowitz.
Kentucky sports betting fiscal studies suggest sports wagering should increase the state’s wagering by approximately $23 million upon full implementation. The money will go towards the oversight of sports wagering and the Kentucky permanent pension fund. The tax rate sits at 9.75% on retail adjusted gross revenues, and 14.25% on mobile retail adjusted gross revenues.