The state of Kentucky is the hub for horse racing in the US but it has shied away from sports betting. The lawmakers have also remained explicitly distanced themselves from online poker and casino gaming. However, things have started to change now for Kentucky online gambling.

What has changed now?

The Bluegrass State is moving closer to a legalized sports betting and online poker market. This change is being brought by State Representative Adam Koenig who is pushing legislation for the same. The 2020 bill passed unanimously through the chairs, the racing Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations Committee. However, it was yet to come to the floor to the Kentucky Legislature.

This time, Koenig is presenting an identical bill- House Bill 241, this year as well. It provides options to open the Kentucky market to a variety of gaming options like sports betting, daily fantasy sports, and online poker. It suggests that three wings of the government should regulate these activities. the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet will regulate daily fantasy sports, Kentucky Lottery Corporation will regulate online poker and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission will regulate sports betting. This would mean that existing government entities will be able to control new markets and there will be no need for a separate regulator.

What else does the bill propose?

The bill also proposes licenses for venues with a 50,000-fan capacity and racing tracks to get licenses. This would bring in venues like Keeneland and Churchill Downs and it will also allow the Kentucky Speedway. If the bill is passed, Kentucky can see some sports betting action in 2023.

The state has been very slow in adopting online gaming. The state filed a lawsuit against PokerStars in 2010 and alleged that the firm is offering its products to local residents and had made over $300 million in sales. In 2015, the judge also ruled in favor of the state. After a lot of legal back and forth, the Kentucky Supreme Court sided with the state and asked PokerStars to pay a whopping $1.3 billion.