The next state hotly tipped to go legal with sports betting is Kentucky, home of the world-famous Kentucky Derby horse race. Adding some light to the heated speculation was Republican Damon Thayer, who reportedly told the recent Sports Wagering and Impact on Horse Racing Symposium that bipartisan sports betting legislation is being prepared in advance of the 30-day legislative session commencing in January 2019.
Thayer also attempted to manage expectations in relation to the potential revenue that would be generated from legalizing sports betting. He told the symposium that it would be lower than the take from slot machine gaming. However, he predicted that it might compete with overall casino revenue.
Expanding on his symposium address in the horse racing magazine Blood Horse, Thayer said he believed that Kentucky’s Senate could assemble a group of Democrats and Republicans to get a bill through, adding that he did not want to see the state become one of the last to legalize sports wagering, but instead be among the first 10 that did so.
For the time being, any form of legal sports wagering in Kentucky will be restricted to physical betting in brick and mortar venues. Thayer confirmed that the legislation currently being prepared makes no provision for mobile betting.
