We have outstanding news for sports fans in the Bluegrass State! Kentucky sports betting will launch online on September 28th and some of the largest sports betting apps in the world have already doled out some incredible bonus offers for new customers!
With less than a month until the official start date for online betting in Kentucky, DraftKings, Bet365, FanDuel, and BetMGM are already allowing customers to pre-register and lock in up to $815 in bonus bets! Find every offer in the table found below:
Kentucky bettors must be 18+ (21+ Caesars) and present to place wagers in the state. If you or a loved one is experiencing problems with gambling, call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit the National Council on Problem Gambling www.ncpgambling.org.
Timeline for Legal Sports Betting in Kentucky
After a long and winding road of back-and-forth legislation procedures, Governor Andy Beshear officially made sports betting legal in Kentucky on March 31, 2023, by signing HB 551. It's been a whirlwind ever since, especially since the launch date goal is the start of the 2023-24 NFL season.
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) is overseeing the launch process. Take a look at some important dates for Kentucky sports betting below.
Tuesday, August 22nd
This was a crucial date of the entire process. At 1:30 PM Eastern Time, the KHRC held an important meeting where they voted on which sportsbooks' applications will be approved to do business in Kentucky. The vote decided which mobile apps and retail locations will be authorized to launch.
Monday, August 28th
Gov. Beshear recently announced that all Kentucky residents can begin pre-registering for all approved mobile sports betting apps on this date. The process will begin at 6 AM Eastern Time on Monday, with the goal of avoiding putting too much strain on the mobile apps' systems.
We have confirmed pre-launch offers from FanDuel, DraftKings, and Bet365, with additional promotions likely to come later this week.
Thursday, September 7th
This is the day all hardcore Kentucky sports fans have been waiting for! Legal sports betting will officially launch at 10 AM ET and folks will be able to place wagers at any of the approved in-person retail sportsbooks.
At 6 AM on this day, sports bettors in Kentucky will be able to deposit money into their pre-registered mobile sportsbook accounts. However, they'll have to wait three weeks before placing online wagers.
Thursday, September 28th
This is the official launch date for all online sportsbooks in Kentucky! At 6 AM ET on this day, all mobile sports betting apps are allowed to start accepting bets. Folks who have preregistered and deposited money will be ahead of the game for this monumental occasion.
What Sportsbooks Were Awarded Sports Betting Licenses in Kentucky?
As of August 28, 8 sportsbooks have been awarded sports betting licenses in the Bluegrass State. As you might expect, industry giants FanDuel and DraftKings are both on the list. These two continue to have the majority of the sports betting market share in the US.
Some up-and-coming sportsbooks like Bet365 and Circa Sports have also applied for licenses in Kentucky. Let's take a look at the full list below as well as give out some key details about each sportsbook.
Bet365
Bet365 is a major player in the sportsbook industry internationally. Though they are newer to the US market, Bet365 has done remarkably well in Iowa, Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey, and Colorado.
Bet365 is known for having some of the most lucrative signup bonuses in the industry. They're famous for their Bet $1, Get $200 deal, so the pre-reg bonus in Kentucky should be pretty sweet!
BetMGM
The self-proclaimed "King of Sportsbooks" is also throwing its hat into the ring in the Bluegrass State. BetMGM has been successful in 19 US markets and is known for its commercials featuring stars like Kevin Garnett and Jamie Foxx.
Sports bettors raved about the BetMGM Bet $10, Get $200 offer last year. It'll be interesting to see what type of bonus they come up with for folks in Kentucky.
Caesars
Caesars has also made a big splash in the US sports betting market, and they'll likely have a large presence in Kentucky as well. As you can probably tell from their ads, Caesars has an agreement with the Manning family for promotions.
Caesars isn't offering as large of bonuses as in the past, but one thing they do well is Odds Boosts. Even on a slow day, Caesars provides at least 20-30 odds boost options for their customers.
Circa Sports
Circa Sports runs the largest retail sportsbook in the world, complete with its amazing Stadium Swim setup that features a plethora of pools and big screens. The Circa app is only live in 4 states at the moment: Nevada, Colorado, Illinois, and Iowa.
If approved in Kentucky, the Circa app will provide some of the lowest juiced odds in the business to sports bettors. We expect big things from this sportsbook.
DraftKings
DraftKings is one of the conglomerates in the sportsbook and DFS industry. The company recently launched its own casino app as well. What's impressive about DraftKings is their expansive offering of different types of wagers.
Kentucky sports fans who are into player props and substantial bonuses will love DraftKings. Their pre-registration offer in KY gives all new players $200 in bonus bets! How sweet is that?
Fanatics
Fanatics made a giant splash in the sports betting industry by acquiring the US side of Pointsbet's book of business just a few months ago. This gives Fanatics a head start because they now have access to a wide variety of sports betting markets.
We haven't received word as to what the Fanatics pre-reg offer will be. However, we're expecting it to be pretty substantial, especially since they just finished up their beta phase in Ohio and Tennessee.
FanDuel
As another one of the largest sportsbook apps in the world, FanDuel is enjoying a monstrous amount of success in the US. The company recently posted a profitable first half of 2023, and they'll be one of the top brands in Kentucky.
FanDuel arguably has the best player props offering in the business and they're aggressive with their bonuses as well. The pre-reg offer from FanDuel is fantastic! New users can get $100 in Bonus Bets and $100 off an NFL Sunday Ticket subscription.
ESPN Bet
Yes, it's true: the mothership of all sports networks just became part of the sportsbook world thanks to a deal with Penn Sports. We don't know when ESPN Bet will officially launch, but the smart money says it'll be sometime during the NFL season.
Since ESPN Bet will be a brand-new sportsbook app, it's tough to predict what type of bonus offer they'll have. Stay tuned!
