KENTUCKY PUSHES FOR LEGAL SPORTS BETTING IN 2022 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

Dave Schwab Sports Betting Expert

3 minute read

January 1st, 2022

Dave Schwab
US Sports Betting Industry Expert
VegasInsider.com

The New Year marks the start of a brand new push for legal sports betting in Kentucky. With the neighboring state of Ohio successfully passing legislation in December, Kentucky lawmakers are feeling the heat to get something done in 2022.

One of the strongest proponents for legal betting on sports is State Representative Adam Koenig. He recently told local media sources that he plans to file a sports betting bill ahead of the new legislative session. That session is scheduled to begin on Jan. 4 and it runs until April 15.

Previous efforts to move similar bills forward have all come up short. Opposition continues to persist behind a various number of concerns.

A few of these groups continue to voice their concerns over social issues such as crime and addiction. Those arguments have been countered by 30-plus states offering legal sports betting in some form. The legal US sports industry itself has made a strong commitment towards promoting safe and responsible gaming.

The bigger issue at hand is the loss of much needed revenue to support educational programs in the state. Rep. Koenig noted that more than $2 billion in sports bets are placed illegally in Kentucky on an annual basis.

With most surrounding states offering legal sports betting, Kentucky is also losing revenue through residents travelling across state lines to place legal sports bets. The addition of Ohio to the list adds a strong talking point to that issue.

Cincinnati should be a major betting market in Ohio once that state goes live. It sits on the northern border of Kentucky across the Ohio River. Northern Kentucky has a rich history of legal gaming tied to the state’s strong horse betting market.

Rep. Koenig also made the point of how easy it will be to place legal sports bets in Ohio in that part of the state.

State Senator Damon Thayer is another strong proponent of legal sports betting. While he recognizes the existing opposition, he still believes something can get done this year. He referred to the passage of the proper legislation as “a matter of time” before it goes through.

One of his main concerns is the loss of tax dollars for Kentucky with residents going out of state to place legal sports bets.

The strength of the horse racing industry in Kentucky is both a plus and minus in the equation. Certain parties are looking to protect their gaming interests. However, industry leaders also recognize that legal sports betting could actually complement in-state tracks.

This would be especially true if Kentucky horse tracks are involved in the sports betting industry through retail sportsbooks. The ability to partner with online operators such as FanDuel, Caesars and BetMGM for legal mobile betting could also sweeten the deal. Churchill Downs in Louisville already owns and operates the TwinSpires Sportsbook mobile app.

Written by Dave Schwab, our US Sports Betting Industry Expert. You can learn more about our author's expertise here.

Dave Schwab

Dave Schwab has been covering the sports betting industry for the past 12 years as the main focus of his specialty marketing company for online content. This endeavor followed a previous career in the field of sales and marketing in the wholesaling sector.Most of his weekly pieces focus on the rapidly expanding legal US sports betting industry. However, he still does extensive work covering betting angles that can provide a competitive edge to avid players. Dave believes that it is always a challenge to take past results and current form to try and correctly determine a future result. Sports brings out the unpredictability in what should be a fairly predictable outcome based on the stats, facts and recent trends in a particular matchup. More from Dave Schwab