At long last, online sports betting in Kentucky is officially legal. Sports fans in Kentucky can now place bets on a wide variety of sporting events using multiple sports betting platforms.
Here is a closer look at what to expect from the online sports betting industry in The Bluegrass State.
What sportsbooks are live in Kentucky?
Right now, five Kentucky betting apps are available. They are DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Bet365, and Caesars.
Other sportsbooks are coming, too. Fanatics, Circa, and ESPN Bet have also been approved to operate in Kentucky, but have yet to go live.
At this time, each platform has gained temporary licenses to operate in Kentucky. At full capacity, Kentucky could feature as many as 30 online sportsbooks.
Kentucky sports betting welcome bonuses
Now that Kentucky online sports betting has launched, many Kentucky welcome bonuses are available for new users. It’s always a good idea to claim sign-up bonuses from multiple platforms, as they are a great way to add funds to your bankroll when getting started with sports betting.
Here are the top welcome bonuses for Kentucky online sportsbooks. Click on these links to take advantage of these amazing sign-up bonuses:
- BetMGM bonus code ROCKYBET: Receive up to $1,500 in bonuses
- Bet365 bonus code ROCKYKY: Bet $1, get $365 guaranteed
- FanDuel promo (no code needed) : Bet $5, get $200 guaranteed
- DraftKings promo (no code needed): Claim up to $1,250 in bonuses
- Caesars promo code STARTGET: Claim up to $250 in bonuses
Years in the making
The launch of online sports betting in Kentucky has been in the works for years.
The US Supreme Court lifted the federal ban on sports betting in 2018. Kentucky lawmakers immediately created a panel to start the process of bringing sports betting to The Bluegrass State.
Kentucky sports betting bills began to be introduced in 2019, but did not gain much traction. Other bills were introduced from 2020-2022, but again, not much came to be.
Finally in 2023, Rep. Michael Meredith’s HB 551 was passed into law, authorizing the state’s racetracks to offer both retail and online sports betting. After gaining approval from the Senate and House, Gov. Beshear signed the bill into law on March 31, 2023.
Retail sports betting launched earlier this month, and now, online sports betting is live.
