Kentucky Online Sports Betting Is Now Live

Sep 9, 2023; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats wide receiver Barion Brown (7) celebrates in the end zone after scoring a touchdown during the third quarter against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY SportsAfter nearly six months of work, Kentucky online sports betting is now liveSeven sports betting operators launched their apps at 6 a.m. in the commonwealthSeveral operators will allow those 18 and older to access their sportsbook apps

After six months of work and preparation, Kentucky online sports betting is now live in the commonwealth.

Multiple online sports betting operators started to accept bets at 6 a.m. this morning. According to Gov. Andy Beshear (D), more than 60,000 online sports betting accounts were registered prior to today’s launch.

Eight operators are licensed in the state, but Circa Sports will launch its sportsbook at a later date.

We’ll continue to update this story throughout the day as more information comes in.

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Kentucky Online Sports Betting Is Now Here

The following online sportsbook apps are launching today in Kentucky:

Bet365 KentuckyFanDuel KentuckyDraftKings KentuckyBetMGM KentuckyCaesars Sportsbook KentuckyFanatics SportsbookBarstool Sportsbook (rebranding to ESPN BET later this year)

As mentioned above, Circa Sports is licensed for the state but will announce its launch at a later date.

Bet365 and DraftKings are the only two operators in the state to allow those who are 18 years of age to access their sportsbook. Kentucky set the legal sports betting age at 18, but the majority of operators are limiting their sportsbooks to those who are 21 or older.

DraftKings announced that Kentucky Sports Radio host Matt Jones will be hosting a live show from The Mint Gaming Hall Cumberland in Williamsburg this morning and will place the ceremonial first bet via the DraftKings Sportsbook app. Jones will make the ceremonial first bet at 12:15 p.m.

Fanatics Betting and Gaming also announced that its Fanatics Sportsbook customers will have access to its $50 bet for a reward credit to purchase any merchandise from a sports team worth up to $150.

BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt said during the launch that “Kentucky is home to some of the country’s most passionate fans.”

“We’re confident that our sports betting platform will elevate their gameday experience,” he said.

A Caesar representative noted that the first bet taken on the Caesars Sportsbook app in Kentucky this morning was $25 on the Detroit Lions to cover -1.5 against the Green Bay Packers during tonight’s Thursday Night Football matchup.

The State’s Extensive Sports Betting Catalogue

The Kentucky sports betting catalogue currently allows bets on eSports, Japan Nippon Professional Baseball, FIBA sanctioned basketball events, and cycling events sanctioned by the Union Cycliste International.

Other markets include:

XFLUSFLCanadian Football LeagueLIV GolfNetball (ANZ Premiership and Super Netball)Sailing (Americas Cup)X GamesWinter and Summer OlympicsMajor League Eating Sanctioned EventsNathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest

Last week, the Kentucky Sports Wagering Advisory Council approved several additional events for the Kentucky sports betting catalogue in preparation for the online launch.

Hans Stokke, director of sports betting for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, introduced five new sports betting markets to the commonwealth’s sports betting catalogue. They were as follows:

Formula 1 RacingNational Rugby League in AustraliaProfessional Fighter’s League MMABellator MMAUniversal Tennis League

The advisory council unanimously approved the events be added to the full catalogue.