Best Kentucky Sportsbooks
By
Will Brown
Contributor
Updated: August 20, 2025
Will Brown Contributor
Since 2023, Kentucky has offered legal online and retail sports betting at a range of high-quality platforms. With locals able to wager on everything from major professional league sports to college events, Kentucky sports betting is rife with exciting gambling opportunities. Here, we’ve outlined the top sports, platforms, and markets available to local players.
Status of Sports Betting in Kentucky
| March 12, 1988 | Voters approve of the establishment of the Kentucky Lottery |
| April 4, 1989 | Kentucky Lottery officially launches |
| September 15, 2000 | Instant Racing historical racing machines debut at Kentucky Downs |
| May 14, 2018 | The US Supreme Court repeals PASPA, allowing states to legalize sports betting |
| March 30, 2023 | Sports betting legalized by the Kentucky Senate |
| Sept. 28, 2023 | Online sports betting launches in Kentucky |
For most of its history, Kentucky has been relatively resistant to expanding its gambling landscape. The first major change came in 1988, when voters approved the establishment of the Kentucky Lottery. This saw funds generated from the lottery go toward college scholarships and education initiatives.
While Kentucky has always had a strong horse race betting culture, it wasn’t until 2000 that historical race betting terminals were introduced. The state also saw the rise of off-track betting facilities, though the last of these closed in 2013. In 2018, the federal government repealed PASPA, the legislation that outlawed sports betting across the nation.
This paved the way for the Kentucky House to introduce a sports betting expansion bill in 2023, which would allow the establishment of retail and online Kentucky betting sites. This bill passed the Senate on March 30 and was signed into law the day after by Governor Andy Beshear. Retail betting launched in early September of the same year, with online betting launching three weeks later.
Since the launch of Kentucky sports betting, over $4.5 billion has been wagered in Kentucky. Thanks to its 9.75% percent tax on retail betting and 14.25% tax on online betting, the state has generated $500 million primarily for its public pension and Problem Gambling Assistance funds.
Legal Sports Betting Options in Kentucky
Betting in Kentucky remains legal for adults over 18 years old, making it one of the most accessible betting states in the US. The best Kentucky sportsbooks offer a range of sports and markets to wager on in accordance with local regulations, with new betting sites required to receive a license from the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation to operate. Below, we’ve outlined the legal markets, sports, and gaming options available in KY.
Legal Bet Types
To ensure that everyone from amateur bettors to seasoned pros can enjoy wagering, there is a wealth of legal Kentucky betting options available at online US sportsbooks. The most popular of these is a moneyline bet, which is a simple wager on which team or player will win. Below is a comprehensive overview of the legal bet types in KY:
- Moneyline
- Totals
- Futures
- Spread betting
- Parlays
- Props
- Same Game Parlays
- Live Betting
- Teasers
We suggest new players stick to line bets before experimenting with parlay betting or live bets. Totals and spreads are also relatively straightforward and offer more balanced odds than line bets. As you gain more experience at online sports betting Kentucky sites, build two or three-leg parlays, taking advantage of bonuses that can boost your profits or odds whenever possible.
What You Cannot Bet on in KY
Kentucky sports betting law stipulates that legal wagering is restricted to sporting events only. This means that novelty markets that are available in some states, such as political election outcomes, are unavailable at local betting platforms. The complete list of restricted betting markets in Kentucky includes:
- Politics
- Entertainment and Award Ceremonies
Fortunately, betting options that are commonly prohibited in other states, such as eSports wagering and in-state and out-of-state college team betting, are legal in KY. Even individual player props on college games are legal in KY, though eSports wagers are only permitted if participants are over 18 years old.
Daily Fantasy Sports
Daily fantasy sports (DFS) are an exciting money-based competition that allows players to build lineups of real-life players and earn points based on their weekly performances. The top-scoring contestants win a share of cash prizes, making it a great alternative to betting for Kentucky’s sports fans.
While it hasn’t been technically legalized, daily fantasy sports sites are operational in Kentucky. Some Kentucky online sports betting platforms, such as FanDuel and DraftKings, even offer DFS modes for customers. Users can join public contests or create private games for leagues such as the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL.
Kentucky Sports Betting Promotions
The best thing about signing up with a Kentucky online sportsbook is that you can claim a generous new player bonus. These will vary from site to site, but often include deposit-matched bonus funds, free bets, or insured bets that see losses on first-time bets returned as bonus bets. One of the most exciting and unique bonuses on the market is listed below:
| Sportsbooks | Bet $1 Double Your Winnings Your Next 20 Bets | CZRDYW | $5 | Claim Your Bonus | Valid only for new players over 21 years of age. Full T&Cs apply. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL OR TEXT 1-800- GAMBLER |
Once you’ve used this bonus, you can claim additional promotions by making additional deposits, opting in on the Promotions pages, or through loyalty rewards schemes. Just be sure that you always read the terms and conditions of any bonus, paying close attention to the validity periods, wagering requirements, and odds restrictions.
Legal Kentucky Online Betting Apps
Online sports betting in Kentucky is accessible through native mobile apps on iOS and Android devices. These apps provide the comprehensive betting experience available through desktop browsers, including pre-match and live bet building, deposits and withdrawals, account registration, and access to the loyalty program. Users can even claim bonuses through the mobile apps.
Mobile betting through betting apps is by far the most convenient and simple way to place wagers in Kentucky. These can be accessed anywhere within state lines as well as out-of-state jurisdictions that have licensed the operators. They’re especially useful for betting while watching live sports through external devices.
Deposits and Withdrawals Options
You have a plethora of options to fund your Kentucky sports betting accounts. These include mobile payments such as Google Pay and Apple Pay, eWallets such as PayPal, debit and credit cards, and bank transfers. In most instances, minimum deposit limits start at $10 and are processed instantly.
Outside of mobile payments, most of the same payment methods are available for withdrawals. However, each method will have varying transaction times, with eWallets typically processed the fastest with one-day payout times. Minimum withdrawal limits tend to be between $10 and $20, and there are no fees charged on any sportsbook transactions in Kentucky.
Popular Sports and Leagues to Bet on
The best Kentucky sportsbooks have dozens of sports options, with each sporting category offering markets from both domestic and international leagues. This ensures that players can wager on something at any time of day, all year round. In addition to standard sports, there are also special events such as odds for the Kentucky Derby and the Olympic Games.
Considering the popularity of college football in Kentucky, you’ll be pleased to know that you can wager on NCAA games involving the University of Kentucky’s Wildcats. There are no restrictions on backing in-state teams, with even player props on Wildcats players permitted in the state.
Major Sports Leagues
The most popular KY sports betting options are the Big Five major league sports, including the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and MLS. Both basketball and baseball tend to be great options to bet on due to the fact that there is a wealth of international leagues. You’ll be able to find great odds for each league’s championship series, with the Super Bowl in particular offering regular promos.
There are also plenty of niche leagues, such as the CFL, USL, and eSports markets. However, the sport with the widest selection of major and niche markets is soccer, with the English Premier League, Spanish LaLiga, and German Bundesliga offering plenty of pre-match and live betting opportunities.
Popular Sports Teams in Kentucky
Kentucky is one of the 24 US states that is not home to any major league teams in the Big Five Leagues. However, it is home to several professional league soccer teams that play in the USL. If you wish to back a local team, you can either wager on games involving the University of Kentucky or the following two soccer teams.
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Louisville City FC
Louisville City FC competes in the Eastern Conference of the USL Championship, the second tier of American soccer. Despite only debuting in 2015, the team has made a considerable impression in the league, winning back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018 and becoming the first team in the league’s history to play in three consecutive USL Cups in 2019.
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Lexington SC
Lexington SC was founded in 2021 as an expansion side to the USL League One, the third tier of American soccer. However, the team is set to join the second-tier USL Championship League in 2025, joining the Western Conference under coach Terry Boss. The team plays at the recently completed Lexington SC Stadium and is set to make the KY soccer scene more exciting as they ultimately compete against neighboring Louisville.
Problem Gambling Help
As the popularity and accessibility of betting in Kentucky grow, it’s becoming ever more important to understand the signs of compulsive gambling. These include having pervasive thoughts about gambling, struggling to manage funds, lying about gambling, and borrowing money to gamble. If you recognize these behaviors in yourself or a loved one, it’s important to seek out help.
Problem gambling resources include the National Council on Problem Gambling and Gamblers Anonymous, with free support available by calling 1800 GAMBLER. Licensed sportsbooks will also offer support through self-exclusion and gameplay limitation tools. You can learn more about strategies and services to help with problem gambling through our responsible gambling guide.