States / Kentucky / Sports betting
Is sports betting legal in Kentucky?
Yes. In Kentucky, online and in-person sports betting are legal (as of Oct 12, 2026). Online betting launched Sep 28, 2023; in-person betting Sep 7, 2023. Operators pay 14.25% AGR in tax.
| Channel | Status | Launched | Model | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sports (online) | Live | Sep 28, 2023 | Competitive | Each licensed track may contract with up to 3 sports wagering service providers/skins offering online/mobile wagering under the track's or provider's brand. KRS Chapter 230 (as created/amended by 2023 Ky. Acts ch. 147 / HB 551) [1],[2] |
| Sports (retail) | Live | Sep 7, 2023 | Hybrid | Retail sports wagering offered at licensed tracks/facilities for sports wagering under KHRC jurisdiction. KRS Chapter 230 (as created/amended by 2023 Ky. Acts ch. 147 / HB 551) [1],[3],[2] |
Tax rate
| Rate | Since | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 14.25% AGR (online) | Sep 28, 2023 | Statute: 'Fourteen and one-quarter percent (14.25%) on the adjusted gross revenue on wagers placed online via websites or mobile applications or other off-site technology approved by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.'[2] |
| 9.75% AGR (retail) | Sep 7, 2023 | Statute: 'Nine and three-quarters percent (9.75%) on the adjusted gross revenue on wagers placed at the licensed track.' Adjusted gross revenue = total wagers collected less winnings paid less federal excise taxes paid.[2] |
Rules
- Minimum age to place a sports wager
- 21 · Originally set at 18 by 2023's HB 551 (a floor amendment to raise it to 21 was defeated in the House on 3/13/2023). HB 904 (2026 Ky. Acts ch. 184, enacted via veto override effective 4/14/2026) raised the minimum sports-wagering age from 18 to 21.[2],[3],[4]
- Wagering on college sports allowed at all
- Yes · College sporting events sanctioned by the NCAA, NAIA, or other recognized collegiate athletic body are an explicitly wagerable category.[2]
- Wagering on in-state college teams allowed
- Yes · The statute does not exclude Kentucky's own college teams from the wagerable category of NCAA/NAIA-sanctioned college sporting events.[2]
- Individual college player prop bets allowed
- Yes · Kentucky's statutory definition of sports wagering covers bets on 'the individual performance statistics of athletes in a sporting event,' with no carve-out limiting that to professional (as opposed to college) athletes.[2]
- Credit cards may be used to fund accounts
- Yes · Statute lists 'credit cards, debit cards, automated clearing house, other electronic methods' among acceptable funding methods.[2]
- Esports wagering allowed
- Yes[2]
- New online accounts must be created in person
- No · Patrons may register online/remotely through a service provider's website or mobile application, not only in person at a licensed facility.[2]
- Online sports wagering available statewide (not tethered to premises)
- Yes[2]
- Summary of prop-bet restrictions (e.g. no in-game player props)
- No statute bars specific prop-bet types outright. A sports governing body may ask the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation to restrict, limit, or exclude a type, form, or category of sports wagering on its own covered events if it believes that wagering type could undermine the sport's integrity (KRS 230.808).[5]
Licensed sportsbooks
| Operator | Brand | Channel | Status | Launched |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bet365 | bet365 | Sports (online) | active | [6],[7] |
| BetMGM | BetMGM Sportsbook | Sports (online) | active | Sep 28, 2023[6],[7] |
| Caesars Entertainment | Caesars Sportsbook | Sports (online) | active | Sep 28, 2023[6],[7] |
| Circa Sports | Circa Sports | Sports (online) | active | [6],[7] |
| DraftKings | DraftKings Sportsbook | Sports (online) | active | Sep 28, 2023[6],[7] |
| Fanatics Betting and Gaming | Fanatics Sportsbook | Sports (online) | active | Sep 28, 2023[6],[7] |
| FanDuel | FanDuel Sportsbook | Sports (online) | active | Sep 28, 2023[6],[7] |
| PENN Entertainment | theScore Bet (PENN Sports Interactive) | Sports (online) | active | Sep 28, 2023[6],[7] |
| BetMGM | BetMGM Sportsbook | Sports (retail) | active | Sep 7, 2023[6],[7],[8] |
| Caesars Entertainment | Caesars Sportsbook | Sports (retail) | active | Sep 7, 2023[6],[7] |
| Churchill Downs Incorporated | Kambi (retail sportsbook technology supplier) | Sports (retail) | active | [6] |
| DraftKings | DraftKings Sportsbook | Sports (retail) | active | Sep 7, 2023[6],[7],[9] |
All gambling laws in Kentucky → · Sports betting in every state →
Sources
- Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation — Sports Wagering · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- 23 RS HB 551/GA — An Act relating to wagering and making an appropriation therefor · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- HB 551 (2023 Regular Session) — Bill History/Summary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- HB 904 (2026 Regular Session) — Bill History/Summary, AN ACT relating to gaming · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- KRS 230.808 — Sporting events that may be wagered upon -- Restrictions -- Procedure for sports governing body to request exclusion · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
- Approved Sports Betting Licensees and their Partners · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Fetched directly via gld.fetch.get (Chrome TLS impersonation) and parsed with pdfplumber; the primary source used to re-confirm all sports-wagering/track pairings in this review pass.
- Fanatics joins the list of 8 online operators approved for KY betting licenses · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Direct fetch of this exact URL, and of a companion legalsportsreport.com article on the same approvals, both returned HTTP 403 in this research pass. The track-operator pairings (Caesars/The Red Mile+Keeneland, PENN Sports Interactive/Ellis Park, DraftKings/The Mint Gaming Hall at Cumberland Run, FanDuel/Turfway Park+Newport Racing and Gaming, BetMGM/Sandy's Racing and Gaming), the Aug. 22, 2023 temporary-license approval date, retail launch (Sept. 7, 2023) and mobile launch (Sept. 28, 2023) dates, and the full approved service-provider list (bet365, Caesars, Circa Sports, DraftKings, Fanatics, FanDuel, Penn Sports Interactive, plus supplier Kambi) are drawn from a search-engine result summary of this article and companion kfvs12.com/wkyt.com/wymt.com local-news coverage of the same KHRC approval, not independently re-verified by direct fetch. None of these sources mention Kentucky Downs having a sports-wagering partner.
- Kentucky Sports Betting Market Readies For In-Person BetMGM Sportsbook · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Page not independently re-fetched this session; relied on search-result summary.
- DraftKings working with The Mint Gambling Hall Corbin for Kentucky access · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Page not independently re-fetched this session; relied on search-result summary.