BetMGM will only allow bettors 21 and older to use its sports betting platform in Kentucky, a company spokesperson told PlayKentucky on Wednesday.
That means that all three operators with publicly announced partnerships in the Bluegrass State — BetMGM, Caesars and FanDuel — are all choosing to be 21-plus platforms, ignoring the state’s legal age limit of 18.
The retail BetMGM Kentucky Sportsbook at Sandy’s Racing & Gaming will also be 21-and-over. BetMGM and Revolutionary Racing, which owns Sandy’s, announced their partnership earlier this week.
Significance of BetMGM being 21+
It’s no surprise to see BetMGM choose to be 21-plus in Kentucky. The operator is also live in Wyoming and Washington, DC, which are both 18-plus jurisdictions, yet BetMGM only allows customers 21 and older in those locations as well. In fact, Caesars and FanDuel are both 21-plus in their 18-plus jurisdictions, too.
So while it’s not surprising these Kentucky sports betting apps will be 21-plus, it’s still significant. Kentucky isn’t like the other 18-plus US jurisdictions: Wyoming, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Washington, DC. Its population of 4.6 million is a full 3.5 million larger than that of the second-largest 18-plus betting jurisdiction, New Hampshire.
Therefore, the 18-, 19- and 20-year-old betting crowd in Kentucky will represent a larger chunk of potential revenue than it would in Wyoming, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Washington, DC.
Perhaps it’s these three companies prioritizing responsible gambling and wanting to avoid any potential issues in that realm with younger gamblers. Or perhaps it’s just easier for the operators to have one age limit everywhere its app is live.
Whatever the reason, it’s notable that the first three Kentucky sports betting operators to have secured their places in the Bluegrass State are ignoring the state’s legal age limit.
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Now we wait for a decision from DraftKings
DraftKings is going to be the wild card.
The Boston-based operator is 18-plus in both Wyoming and New Hampshire. And when PlayKentucky asked DraftKings in June if it would be 18-and-over in Kentucky, it responded with this:
“DraftKings is committed to following the age restrictions set forth by each individual jurisdiction.”
That sure sounds like DraftKings Kentucky Sportsbook might be 18-plus, doesn’t it?
And if DraftKings does allow 18-, 19- and 20-year-old bettors in Kentucky, that may just give it the inside track to owning the largest market share.
That’s another reason to think Bet365 Kentucky Sportsbook could have success, too, as the fast-rising US sports betting brand will likely allow under-21 bettors. (It’s a longstanding betting titan in the United Kingdom, where the legal gambling age is 18.)
