The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) has granted sports betting licences to several online and retail operators ahead of the state's eagerly anticipated legal market launch this September. Retail sports wagering is set to launch on 7 September, with online betting closely following on 28 September.
These licences are temporary, allowing operators to conduct business in Kentucky for up to one year, with ongoing reviews during this period.
Who Got Approved?
The KHRC granted licences for a few racetracks and their satellite facilities in Kentucky. Successful applicants include Churchill Downs and Derby City Gaming in Louisville, Ellis Park in Henderson, The Mint Gaming Hall Cumberland Run in Corbin, The Mint Gaming Hall Cumberland in Williamsburg, Newport Racing and Gaming in Newport, Oak Grove Gaming and Racing in Oak Grove, The Red Mile in Lexington, and Turfway Park in Florence.
Licences for sports betting operations were also awarded to three new facilities: Derby City Gaming in Louisville, Ellis Park in Owensboro, and Sandy’s Gaming and Racing in Ashland. The KHRC also issued a retail operations provider licence to Kambi, even though the company was not among the initial applicants.
KHRC Chairman Jonathan Rabinowitz commented on the latest development in launching legal sports betting in Kentucky:
We are excited to open sports wagering on our target date as we continue working through this careful process dedicated to wagering integrity and protecting bettors in the state of Kentucky.
New Partnerships
Among the initial seven online operators that applied back in August, all were granted service provider licences. Prominent names such as Bet365, BetMGM, Caesars, Circa, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Penn Sports Interactive will all get a chance to launch their online betting operations in Kentucky on 28 September.
Another company, Fanatics, which was not initially on the list, received approval to launch online sports betting in Kentucky.
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission revealed the details of partnerships between online operators and land-based venues at the meeting. Each racetrack has the opportunity to partner with up to three online operators.
Sandy’s Racing and Gaming will offer mobile betting in partnership with Bet365 and BetMGM, and Caesars will provide mobile betting with The Red Mile. Betfair will provide mobile-only betting to Kentuckians with Turfway Park, DraftKings is among those that have entered partnerships for both retail and mobile betting, while Kambi is set to provide retail-only betting services for several venues.
