After years of legislative attempts, the Kentucky General Assembly legalized sports betting in March of 2023 and will officially introduce the Commonwealth to the industry in September.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has been tasked with leading the statewide rollout, with one of the fastest turnarounds in the U.S. from legislation passing, to launch. 

Ahead of the anticipated rollout, Play Kentucky asked Dinsmore gaming and equine industry attorney, Laura Holoubek, about how she has worked with her gaming industry clients as they navigate the framework of the new law. 

An excerpt is below.

“There’s definitely a very strong commitment to getting this up and going,” Holoubek said. “And obviously, the NFL season is their objective, with the launch date of Sept. 7. So, I would say that it looks like they’ll be in good shape to launch.”

Getting a permanent license won’t be easy for hopeful licensees. Holoubek noted how strict the KHRC is with its process.

“With account wagering providers here in Kentucky, they really do take a very deep dive on the application,” Holoubek said. “And any kind of change of ownership has to be disclosed and they look into that. They’re used to doing that online wagering application on the horse racing side, so I would expect they would use the same approach here.”

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