Kentucky has enacted state legislation restricting and regulating all types of gambling in the state, in addition to adhering to federal regulations that have a direct impact on state gaming and sports betting.
It is defined as "gambling" in Kentucky as "putting one's money or one's time at risk based on a hypothetical event or game where the result will be determined only by probability."
Classic casino games, such as slots, can be found in a few casinos in Kentucky, despite the state's limited definition.
Additionally, the state has legalized pari-mutuel horse racing, charity gambling, and the state lotto in addition to what was previously mentioned.
Due to a lack of knowledge on whether greyhound racing is now prohibited under existing legislation, the present legality of the sport is uncertain.
Commercial gambling, as well as bookmaking, which is also prohibited by federal law, are unlawful in Kentucky. While horse race gambling is legal in Kentucky. Horses are selected for the races, funding is allocated for the races and the track development is controlled by the state. They practice, and the rules and restrictions put out by the state are quite stringent.
If you're in Kentucky, can you legally gamble online?
The state of Kentucky does not allow online or traditional sports betting at this time. The excellent thing is that the Bluegrass State appears to be on the verge of legalizing sports gambling. Even though online sportsbooks are illegal, people from Kentucky can still wager on their favorite sports! This is made possible with the service of overseas bookies. Since these firms operate in countries where sports betting is legal, it is not illegal to use their service from another jurisdiction where sports betting is illegal. Taking all that into consideration, one should still make sufficient research on these firms before making any deposits. According to Basketballinsiders, there are a lot of offshore bookies you can choose from and you can bet on sports within the state, but it must be with sportsbooks that are located offshore.
The current state of online gambling in Kentucky
Many citizens in Kentucky are trying tirelessly to modify the state's laws so that residents may legally wager on sports.
At the moment, a nine-person council is debating the legality of sports gambling and the specifics of its implementation.
One of several committee speakers, Kentucky Representative Morgan McGarvey, is an advocate of legalizing sports gambling in the Bluegrass State. We're hopeful about legalizing because of what McGarvey and other politicians have stated about the industry's prospects.
Legislators from the gaming market and professional sports organizations have met with the committee and are working on a law that would allow in-person and online sports betting, as well as smartphone and internet wagering.
There is a "good likelihood" that sports gambling will be legalized in January of 2019, according to McGarvey.
Because it does not have casinos or professional sports teams, Kentucky is in a special situation. Both a state lotto and a horse-racing commission handle pari-mutuel gambling in the state of New Hampshire. The emerging sports betting market will be best served by these 2 groups.
In order to prevent domination by either of the current bodies, Congressman Jordan Nemes has suggested the creation of a new regulatory agency.
For the first time in September, the Temporary Council on Regulation and Operational Rules convened to consider sports gambling. As part of its deliberations, the panel looked at the best ways to regulate, tax, and protect sports and casinos.
Online Sports Gambling in Kentucky: A Brief History
As soon as you think of Kentucky and sports gambling, large hats, small jockeys, and racehorse stallions spring to heart, as do the Kentucky Derby's horse thoroughbreds.
Betting in Kentucky has been severely controlled, despite the fact that this world-famous event shows love for sports gambling. As a result, approximately $4 billion dollars are spent each year by Kentuckians to satisfy their betting compulsions outside of the state. An enormous sum of money has been diverted from the local economy.
These figures have prompted the local administration to focus on returning this money and these inhabitants to the state. A sports wagering statute was enacted in 2018 in anticipation of a Supreme Court decision on a national law prohibiting sports wagering in all states but Nevada.
Before this year, New Jersey was engaged in a long-running legal battle with the United States government over the 1993 PASPA. In the event of PASPA's demise, Kentucky legislators were laying the basis for future possibilities.
After the Supreme Court decided in favor of repeal in May of 2019, every jurisdiction may now choose whether or not to allow sports betting on their own. As a result, legislators in Kentucky have been busy hatching strategies and keeping tabs on developments in states with legalized gambling, such as New Jersey and Delaware.