Kentucky Bettors Won’t Have Many Restrictions On Sports, Leagues

Written By Matthew Bain on April 26, 2023
Kentucky will allow college sports, esports betting, from playkentucky.com

When it comes to sports betting options in Kentucky, gamblers won’t face some of the same restrictions seen in other states.

Kentuckians will be able to bet on college sports — including games involving in-state colleges and athletes — and esports, as well as amateur sporting events in which the athletes are all at least 18 years old. Beyond that, Kentucky sports betting apps will also offer odds on all the most popular professional leagues, such as the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, NASCAR and more.

Future of Kentucky college prop bets uncertain

As of April 2023, nine states with legal sports betting don’t allow betting on in-state colleges in any capacity. Oregon has banned college betting of any kind.

Five states that allow betting on in-state colleges don’t allow prop bets involving those teams.

There are no specifics regarding prop bets in HB 551, the Kentucky sports betting bill. Regarding college sports, it simply says:

“Sporting events that may be wagered upon include but are not limited to: … College sporting events sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic 19 Association, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, or other 20 collegiate athletic body recognized by the racing commission.”

College prop bets will surely be a topic of discussion as the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission establishes regulations for sportsbooks in the Bluegrass State.

RELATED: KY Regulators Already Writing Sportsbook Regulations, Eyeing NFL Launch

Esports betting legal in Kentucky

The bill also permits betting involving:

“Electronic sports, e-sports, and competitive video game events.”

Esports betting is one of the fastest-growing gambling markets in the US.

Absolute Reports projects esports betting will grow at a 13.1% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) through 2028.

That’s higher than the 9.1% CAGR expected for overall US sports betting, per Transparency Market Research.

Kentucky will join a small but growing list of states and jurisdictions that allow esports betting. That list is: Nevada, New Jersey, Tennessee, West Virginia, Arkansas, Delaware, New York, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Rhode Island, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon and Pennsylvania.

Some of the most popular video games for esports competitions include League of LegendsDota 2 and Counter Strike: Global Offensive.

Photo by AP Photo/Michael Clubb
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Matthew Bain

Matthew Bain started as a Content Manager for PlayKentucky and other Catena Media sites in 2022. He covered the launch of Massachusetts sports betting and the Prop 26 vs. Prop 27 battle in California. Before that, he spent six years as a sports reporter and then deputy sports editor for the Des Moines Register, during which time he won nine statewide journalism awards, including the Genevieve Mauck Stoufer Outstanding Young Iowa Journalists Award. As deputy sports editor, Matthew oversaw the Register's recruiting coverage while also innovating the outlet's high school sports coverage. Matthew graduated from San Diego State and grew up in California, but he's somehow a Boston Celtics fan. Long story.

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