The Kentucky legislature put the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission in charge of regulating the state’s upcoming sports betting industry. Lawmakers passed a bill legalizing the activity during a special session in March. Gov. Andy Beshear quickly put his signature on it.
Then, the commission started digging into which rules it should adopt for the Bluegrass State.
It’s a relatively difficult task for the KHRC. The state never had fixed odds betting like Kentucky sports betting will be. Instead, horse racing functions as a pari-mutuel betting market. Furthermore, the commission doesn’t have much time to complete the task.
Beshear said he wants to see Kentucky sportsbooks in business by the start of the NFL season.
However, the legislation already laid out the tax rates and legal gambling age for sports betting. In the Commonwealth, sports bettors only need to be 18 years old. But in nearly every other US jurisdiction, the minimum age requirement for betting is 21.
As a result, the rule is a lightning rod topic for Kentucky. But a gambling regulator from the Bay State complimented the only confirmed Kentucky sportsbook’s decision to change that rule to 21-plus for anyone betting with them.
Massachusetts regulator applauds self-regulating sportsbooks
At last Tuesday’s KHRC meeting, Chairman Jonathan Rabinowitz said Kentucky regulators met with officials from Massachusetts, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio and Colorado to learn about regulatory best practices. Interestingly, Rabinowitz did not mention meeting with regulators from other jurisdictions that allow sports betting at 18.
Caesars partnered with Keeneland in Kentucky’s first online sports betting deal in mid-May. Thus, the sportsbook coming to the Red Mile in Lexington will be a Caesars-branded operation. Additionally, it guarantees Kentuckians a Caesars Sportsbook Kentucky option.
As part of the announcement, the Las Vegas-based gaming giant said they would only take bets from players 21 and up.
Massachusetts Gaming Commission commissioner Jordan Maynard, who met with Rabinowitz, is one of the many detractors of the 18-plus age limit. But Maynard praised Caesars’ decision to self-regulate themselves and raise the age requirement for their Kentucky customers.
“And I’ve noticed in other jurisdictions that this particular applicant has chosen to go to 21 even when an 18 would have been allowed, so I would commend that,” Maynard said during a recent MGC meeting in a not-so-cloaked compliment of Caesars in his home state of Kentucky.
In other 18-plus sports betting states, FanDuel and BetMGM made the same decision to raise the minimum betting age. They will likely do the same in Kentucky.
DraftKings and Barstool Sportsbook may be the only operations serving those between 18-20.
For further details, read our BetMGM Sportsbook Kentucky, FanDuel Kentucky Sportsbook and DraftKings KY Sportsbook reviews using the links provided.
Kentucky sports betting age at odds with Ohio’s strict position on the issue
Maynard’s criticism of the 18-plus rule isn’t unique. Ohio’s top regulator has a firm stance on the issue.
Kentucky’s northern neighbor launched legal sports betting this year on Jan. 1, requiring sports bettors to be at least 21. Matt Schuler, the executive director of the Ohio Casino Control Commission, took issue with Kentucky’s lower age requirement.
“I absolutely hate the idea that individuals under 21 can go across the border, open an account and bet,” Schuler told Cincinnati’s WCPO.
Schuler says the younger the bettor, the more at-risk they are of developing a problem gambling issue.
“The younger ones are most vulnerable as they’re not at the age yet where they can thoroughly process the consequences of their actions,” he said.
The Institute for Responsible Gaming, Lotteries and Sport at Miami University in Ohio researches this subject and shares the sentiment.
Ohio regulators have responded strongly against sportsbooks that broke various rules in the state, including advertising or marketing to people under the age of 21. Ohio has issued over $1.25 million in fines to sportsbook companies, about half of which was levied against two companies for advertising to residents under 21.
Age might bring experience, but would educating young gamblers be more effective?
According to responsible gambling advocate Jamie Salsburg, education is more important than age in determining problem gambling risk. Salzburg, who hosts the After Gambling Podcast, defended Kentucky’s 18+ rule.
Salzburg points out that 18-year-olds can legally engage in many other risky behaviors, including taking out loans, getting married and even other forms of gambling. According to Salzburg, taking aim at the age requirement isn’t a silver bullet.
“I believe our goal should be to assist those interested in sports betting to gain as much knowledge as possible with the least amount of financial impact on their lives,” he told PlayKentucky.