The Kentucky legislature failed to pass sports betting legislation this year. But that’s not because of a lack of support from the governor.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear made gambling expansion a cornerstone of his 2019 campaign. In an interview with local media yesterday, Beshear reiterated his position. He made it clear that he would sign a Kentucky sports betting bill.
“I’m 100% for sports betting, [and I’ve] pushed it every year I’ve been governor and [when] I was attorney general,” the governor told WCPO Cincinnati. “[We] need a few people in the general assembly to come around.”
2022 Kentucky sports betting efforts failed
Despite unyielding support from Beshear, sports betting legislation is lacking support in the General Assembly. This year, the House has passed a bill to legalize online sports betting in the state. However, the Senate didn’t even vote on it.
A key supporter of sports betting in the Kentucky House, Rep. Andy Koenig of the 69th district, was defeated earlier this year in a primary challenge. His absence seemed to hurt the bill’s chances of getting to the Senate floor for a vote. But Beshear is not wavering in his support for the measure.
Beshear noted that in addition to sports betting, his state has failed to legalize casino gaming and medical marijuana.
“We’re behind the rest of the country on those things. It’s time to catch up,” Beshear said in his interview with WCPO.
Kentucky House Bill 551 was a sweeping piece of legislation that would create regulations to allow Kentucky race tracks to operate retail sportsbooks. It would also legalize commercial sportsbooks such as those operated by FanDuel Kentucky, DraftKings Kentucky, BetMGM Kentucky, Caesars Kentucky and other companies. But while it passed easily in the House with a vote of 58-30, it stalled in the Senate.
Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer, a Republican, swung his full support for the sports betting bill but could not find enough support to force a vote in the Senate.
Majority of Kentuckians in Favor of Legal Sports Betting
A poll by Public Opinion Strategies in February of 2022 revealed that 65% of Kentuckians would like to see legal sports betting in their state. Five bordering states (Illinois, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, and Indiana) have legal sports betting markets. A sixth, Ohio, is formulating its regulations to launch its market in 2023.
Some saw the 2022 legislative year as the best chance for passing a sports betting bill. Kentucky requires a simple majority in even-numbered years, but in 2023, a bill would need a three-fifths majority in a short legislative session.
Furthermore, Gov. Beshear will be up for re-election later in 2023. If he is defeated, his replacement may not be as supportive of the issue.
The sole legal sports wagering allowed in the Bluegrass State is horse racing. But that is through pari-mutuel wagering, a system that pools bets and provides no odds to the consumer until right before the race starts.
The absence of legal sports betting in Kentucky could cost the state millions in tax revenue.
According to the Kentucky Herald-Leader, in 2021, neighboring Tennessee generated more than $67 million in taxes from online sports betting. Indiana has taken in roughly $60 million since that state legalized in 2019.
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned PASPA in 2018. As a result, sports betting became a state-by-state issue. Since then, 36 states and Washington, D.C. passed legislation making sports wagering legal.
UPDATE: In March 2023, Kentucky made a historic decision to allow legal sports betting. Check out our dedicated page for Kentucky sportsbook bonus offers to find all the exciting promos that will be available after it launches.
