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All You Need To Know Ahead of Thursday’s Kentucky Mobile Sports Betting Launch

Perry Sandra

Updated as of September 27, 2023 at 11:43 AM EDT. Read time: 2 minutes and 7 seconds. Find more information on Twitter and Google News.

Kentucky Wildcats mascot on the court as we look at the numbers from the start of Kentucky sports betting.
Kentucky Wildcats mascot on the court in the game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Michigan State Spartans Spartans. Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images/AFP.

The mobile launch of Kentucky sports betting is set for Thursday, with seven out of eight legal online sports betting licensees ready to go live at 6 a.m. ET. This will allow them to capitalize on Week 4 of the NFL season.

The lowering of the betting age for the top sportsbooks could be the most notable development aside from the highly anticipated platform launch.

Kentucky regulators have set the legal age for placing sports bets with Kentucky sports betting apps and the top sports betting apps at 18 years old. This makes Kentucky the seventh jurisdiction in the country to allow teenagers to legally bet on sports.

However, out of the seven providers scheduled to launch on Thursday, only two will offer college-aged bettors the opportunity to place bets on their preferred sport.

Take a look at our promotions for the Kentucky sportsbook.

First, a look at what Kentucky mobile sports bettors can expect

Since retail sports betting was launched on September 7th, legal sports betting in Kentucky has quickly gained popularity. Retail providers in the Bluegrass State have reported a total of $4.5 million in wagers over the first two weeks.

During that time period, it was reported that there were 60,000 account registrations for Kentucky mobile sports betting apps, though some analysts believe that the actual number may be much higher.

Starting Thursday, Kentucky sports betting apps will provide bettors with access to the following:

  • single-game bets
  • teaser bets
  • parlays
  • over-under bets
  • money line bets
  • pools
  • in-game wagering
  • in-play bets
  • proposition bets
  • straight bets

The sports menu has recently been expanded and is now quite comprehensive compared to other legal sports betting jurisdictions. However, there are still two significant omissions: betting on horse racing and dog racing remains prohibited with Kentucky mobile sports betting providers.

There is optimism that Kentucky’s legal sports betting regulators, who have been meeting frequently, will make progress on the issue. The goal is for residents of the Bluegrass State to have the opportunity to place mobile bets on the Kentucky Derby, the biggest annual sporting event in the state.

For now, brick-and-mortar betting facilities for horse and dog racing will have to do.

The lucky 7 going live

Out of the 27 legal sports betting licenses available in Kentucky, only eight have been awarded. Seven of the license holders are prepared to launch on Thursday, with Circa being the only provider not yet ready to go.

There are seven sportsbooks ready to launch on Thursday.

Controversy

Even though the legal age for mobile sports betting in Kentucky is 18, only two out of the seven providers launching on Thursday will allow individuals under the age of 21 to place bets. The remaining five providers have chosen to set the minimum age at 21 for a variety of reasons, aligning with the age restrictions in other states where they operate.

Only DraftKings and bet365 are allowing 18-year-olds to place legal sports bets, while Barstool, BetMGM, Caesars, Fanatics, and FanDuel require bettors to be at least 21 years old.

In the end…

Kentucky is set to join 34 other states in legalizing sports betting, a move that makes sense given that it is home to one of the most popular sporting events in the country.

For the past few weeks, retail sports betting providers have been paying a 9.75% tax. However, starting Thursday, mobile providers will be contributing 14.25% towards oversight initiatives for sports gambling, addiction programs, and the state’s pension fund.

Written By:
Perry Sandra
Perry Sandra and betting go hand-in-hand. Both are characterized by “odds”. Dave fancies himself as one of the most dedicated sports and pop-culture junkies around, to the chagrin of his family and friends. Following sports for 50 years and writing about it for 20, Dave hasn’t found a sport yet that can’t contribute to 2-3 straight hours of couch time. That search remains ongoing. As a good old Canadian boy, hockey is in Dave’s heart, as is curling sadly. But evolution is a real thing and that’s why football, baseball, and just about every sport on the planet has become a passion. Dave isn’t afraid to kill some time obsessing over politics or the far-too-frequent awards shows the consume the airwaves.