Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear has revealed that since sports betting launched in the Bluegrass State, over $656 million has been wagered through both retail and mobile sportsbooks.
Sports betting in Kentucky officially launched on September 7th, 2023 as retail sportsbooks opened their doors. Online sports betting operators started accepting wagers three weeks later on September 28th.
In an announcement released through the Governor’s office, Beshear said that in-person wagers since launch have totaled $26.8 million while mobile sports betting apps have accepted over $629.5 million or 95.9% of all wagers. He also said that the average weekly sports betting handle is around $65.2 million.
Initial estimates for the industry show that the state collected around $8 million in taxes for the first two months of sports betting. Detailed monthly revenue reports will be released through the Horse Racing Commission starting next week.
Speaking of the industry’s successful start, Beshear said:
“Folks, this is an incredible start, and if this trend holds true, we will significantly exceed the $23 million in projected revenue from sports wagering.”
Approved Kentucky Sports Betting Operators
| Operator | Partnering Track/Location | Sports Betting Type | Launch Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kambi | Churchill Downs, Louisville Churchill Downs’ satellite location, Derby City Gaming, Louisville Ellis Park, Henderson Turfway Park, Florence Oak Grove, Oak Grove |
Retail | Sept 7th |
| DraftKings | The Mint Gaming Hall Cumberland Run, Corbin The Mint Gaming Hall Cumberland, Williamsburg |
Retail and Mobile | Sept 7th (mobile Sept 28th) |
| BetMGM | Sandy’s Gaming and Racing, Ashland | Retail and Mobile | TBD (mobile Sept 28th) |
| Caesars | The Red Mile, Lexington | Retail and Mobile | Sept 7th (mobile Sept 28th) |
| Fanatics | Oak Grove Gaming and Racing | Mobile | Sept 28th |
| FanDuel | Turfway Park, and its satellite location, Newport Racing and Gaming | Mobile | Sept 28th |
| Penn Sports Interactive | Ellis Park, Henderson and Owensboro | Mobile | Sept 28th |
| Circa Sports | Cumberland Run | Mobile | Sept 28th |
| Bet365 | Sandy’s Gaming and Racing | Mobile | Sept 28th |
Image credit: Abbie Myers / CC BY-SA 4.0
Ciaran has been working within the Gambling Industry as a deep analyst since 2019. His deep knowledge and understanding of all the gambling regulations, and processes makes him a true asset, and an always valuable point of view for Gambling Industry News, allowing us to cover every topics from a brand new perspective.