The popularity of sports betting in the United States has surged, with Kentucky being among the latest states to legalize it in late March.
Sports betting refers to gambling that involves the placement of wagers on the outcome of sporting events. But where can players in Kentucky place these bets and partake in putting money on their favorite sporting events and teams?
Most Popular Online Casinos
While bettors can partake in a number of offline casinos across the US, there are a number of websites that offer the ability to gamble without being physically present. Using data compiled by KY Betting, we managed to find three of the most popular sites.
Bovada Casino
Based in Costa Rica, Bovada Casino is a licensed online casino that offers users extensive sports betting options, poker, and casino games for players all over the United States.
Players can bet on a wide range of different sports from major U.S. sports such as basketball, football, baseball, and hockey, to niche sports such as eSports, Olympic events, cricket, boxing, cycling, and many more.
Additionally, the sportsbook offers different secure payment methods including credit/debit, crypto deposits, and Zelle.
BetOnline
Based in Panama City, Panama, BetOnline is a licensed online sportsbook that offers users a wide variety of sports betting options, and a vast casino that features the likes of poker, blackjack, roulette, slots, and more.
Players can bet on multiple sports, including baseball, basketball, boxing, cricket, ice hockey, and football.
Like Bovada Casino, BetOnline offers users secure payment methods that include bonuses for cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Ripple. Additional payment methods include credit/debit, checks, wire transfers, and money orders.
BetUS
Similar to the two listed sportsbooks above, BetUS is a licensed online sportsbook that offers sports betting options, live odds, and casino games.
The online service is best known for its convenience in its secure payment methods, allowing players to deposit funds via credit card, cash transfer, card2wallet, cryptocurrency, and bank wire according to the site’s deposit and payouts page.
Additionally, players are offered a wide range of different sports to place wagers on from popular draws such as basketball, football, ice hockey, and baseball, to horse racing, martial arts, cricket, soccer, and many more.
What About In-Person Options?
Kentucky currently offers no domestic sportsbook apps or in-person sportsbooks. With the recent legalization of sports betting in the state, a lot of those options are not readily available for players at this current moment.
When Will That Change?
While a concrete date is still very much up in the air, there is information regarding a potential timeline.
When House Bill 551 was signed into law by Governor Andy Beshear on March 30th, it gave the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission six months to establish the framework for wagering once the legislation goes into effect on June 28th.
By this timeline, the framework would have to be completed by late December to early January 2024.
Barring earlier completion, the expectation is that sports betting within state lines will not be ready until 2024.
Where Sports Betting Will Be Available
Kentucky will have sportsbooks located at horse-racing tracks and online via smartphones, tablets, and computers.
There are nine licensed tracks in the state, and service providers have already begun lining up for an opportunity to provide their services.
According to LSR’s Pat Evans, Caesars Sportsbook announced its partnership with Keeneland and Red Mile Gaming & Racing for online and in-person sports betting on Tuesday.
With the announcement of the huge partnership and as the state of Kentucky is in its infancy stages of establishing its sports betting landscape, expect the expansion to continue in the coming months.
Sports That Will Be Available For Betting
The list of sports that aren’t available for betting is a very short one, with H.B. 551 only explicitly prohibiting horse racing and amateur youth sports because the athletes are under the age of 18. With horse racing, however, players can still bet on the sport at race tracks and separate applications that offer it as part of their sports betting options.
The new legislation allows wagering on most other sports such as professional and collegiate sporting events, amateur sporting events, international sporting events, eSports, and more.
How Old Do You Have to Be for Sports Betting?
All players must be 18 years old or older and located within Kentucky state lines to be able to place a wager.
Though the legalization of sports betting in Kentucky is not even two months old at the time of writing, the large-scale expansion and multitude of options already announced to be available down the line for players is an exciting and fun prospect for Kentucky residents to enjoy your favorite sporting events.
Please be sure to gamble with a disciplined approach and responsibly, and choose a reputable sportsbook before placing any wagers.