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Kentucky Sports Betting Laws & Regulations

Kentucky Sports Betting Bill Gets Green Light from Senate

By Lisa Spencer Senior Editor Updated: 15 April 2023

Lisa Spencer Senior Editor

As a Senior Editor at Betting.US, Lisa Spencer is a valuable member of our expert team. With a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics, Lisa is adept in gambling theory and analyzing odds. She contributes by writing online sportsbook reviews and finding competitive markets to help our readers make an informed choice.

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It has been reported that the bill to legalize sports betting in Kentucky has been given the green light by the state Senate.

The bill was passed by a 25-12 vote, and it has now been sent to the state governor, Andy Beshear, so that it can be signed into law. If everything runs smoothly, it will bring to an end a long-standing issue over sports betting in the Bluegrass State.

The bill was promoted by its supporters, including one of the main supporters, Republican Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer. He said:

We love our sports in the Commonwealth. And people want to be able to make the choice — of their own free will — to make a wager on a sports event, like almost all of our surrounding states.

The legalization of sports betting has also received support from Governor Andy Beshear, and many Kentuckians are now looking forward to seeing sports betting finally launch in the state. It has been a long and difficult journey for the bill to make it this far. Previous attempts made it through the House, but not the Senate.

Bill 551 has finally managed to achieve the goal of being passed by the House and getting a majority vote from the Senate, which means that all that’s left to do is for the governor to sign it into law. Given that he is a keen supporter of sports betting in Kentucky, there should be no problems moving forward.

Great News for Sports Fans

The outcome of the vote will come as great news for sports fans across Kentucky, as some have been waiting for a long time to see the legalization of sports betting in the state.

With more and more states having legalized sports betting in some form over the past couple of years, fans in Kentucky have had to watch on enviously as the state has continued to experience issues with passing various bills.

Now that the latest bill has gone as far as the Governor’s Office, sports fans will undoubtedly be excited at the prospect of sports betting finally getting the green light in the state.

Of course, it is not just the sports fans who will benefit from sports betting being legalized, but also the state itself. As has been seen in other states, the tax revenues from sports betting are huge, and this will give state finances a valuable boost. This not only comes from tax revenues on sports betting activities but also licensing and renewal fees.

Joining Neighboring States

If all goes smoothly with regard to the state governor signing off the bill, Kentucky will finally be able to join its neighboring states by offering sports betting facilities. This will delight huge numbers of sports fans across the state.

In addition, many hope that it could help to reduce the level of illegal sports betting activity, which is a problem seen in many states where sports betting has not been legalized. It means that people still engage in betting activity, but they have no protection and the state receives no benefit.