Kentucky Online Gambling: Top Online Sports Betting Sites in KY in 2026
Kentucky sports betting has moved beyond the racetracks into a full-fledged betting market with some of the best sportsbooks in the US available.
You’ll find seven legal operators, generous welcome offers, and betting on everything from college hoops to the NFL. Read on as I detail the timeline, promos, tax rates, and expert picks to help you bet smarter in the Bluegrass State.
Sportsbooks for Kentucky Sports Betting Online
- Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Min. package: $4.99
- Time Limit: 60 days
- Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Min. package: $1
- Time Limit: 203 days
- Kentucky Sports Betting Overview
- Best Online Sportsbooks in Kentucky
- Best Betting Promos from Online Sportsbooks in KY
- Online & Retail Betting Sites in Kentucky
- What You Can Legally Wager On in the Bluegrass State
- Official Sports Teams
- Betting on Sports in Kentucky vs Neighboring States
- Timeline of Legalization of Sports Betting in Kentucky
- Kentucky Sports Betting Handle & Revenue
- Official Team and Sportsbook Partnerships
- Licensing & Oversight
- Responsible Gambling in KY
- Summing Up Sports Betting in Kentucky
- Final Thoughts on Sports Betting in Kentucky
- FAQ: Kentucky Mobile Sports Betting
- More Betting States
Kentucky Sports Betting Overview
| Live Since: | Sept. 7, 2023 (for retail) and Sept. 28, 2023 (for mobile) |
| Total Online Books: | 9 |
| Total Retail Books: | 11 |
| Handle & Revenue: | $5.1 billion through Aug. 2025, with $564.7 million in sportsbook revenue |
| Sports Betting Tax Rate: | 9.75% on retail sportsbooks and 14.25% for mobile sportsbooks |
| Legal Betting Age: | 18+ (or 21+, at the discretion of each operator) |
That famous call indicating the start of a thoroughbred horse race since the late 1800s is so relevant to the gambling industry in Kentucky, where Churchill Downs has played host to the first leg of the sport's Triple Crown on each first Saturday in May for more than 150 years.
The state is home to a prolific horse breeding program thanks to tradition, a favorable climate, and calcium-rich soil. As a result, state elected officials have always looked out for the industry and the tens of thousands of in-state jobs associated with it. Kentucky didn't even have a state lottery until 1989, two decades after the modern lottery caught on in many other U.S. states.
A risk of sports betting legalization causing harm to Kentucky horse racing made legislators take pause from 2018-2022, the first five years where such an action was possible. But a deal was reached that meant that only the state's racetracks could open retail sportsbooks (the state has no casinos) and that mobile wagering operators would be partners with the racetracks.
Best Online Sportsbooks in Kentucky
As in most states, Kentucky gamblers can place their bets at dominant daily fantasy sportsbooks like FanDuel and at legacy casino operators such as Caesars. Relative newcomers ESPN Bet and Fanatics also are live in the state.
Best Betting Promos from Online Sportsbooks in KY
Kentucky bettors will find typical deals such as "new users bet $5, win $300 in free bets if it wins". The amount of free bets will vary, depending on the operator, as will the conditions on winning or losing, and you might see extra perks like NBA league passes tossed into the mix.
Meanwhile other sportsbooks might offer unique loyalty rewards. For instance, for those already loyal to Fanatics for purchase of merchandise and collectibles, there's been an offer to place a wager of at least $1 for 10 straight days, and get $200 in FanCash credit each time your bet loses.
- Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Min. package: $4.99
- Time Limit: 60 days
- Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Min. package: $1
- Time Limit: 203 days
Online & Retail Betting Sites in Kentucky
There are currently nine online sportsbooks and 11 retail sportsbooks in Kentucky.
Online Sportsbooks and Official Launch Dates
- Caesars - Sept. 28, 2023
- DraftKings - Sept. 28, 2023
- FanDuel - Sept. 28, 2023
- BetMGM - Sept. 28, 2023
- Bet365 - Sept. 28, 2023
- Fanatics - Sept. 28, 2023
- ESPN Bet - Nov. 14, 2023
- Circa Sports - April 1, 2024
- Prime Sportsbook - July 28, 2025
Retail Sportsbooks and Official Launch Dates
- Caesars Sportsbook at Red Mile (Lexington) - Sept. 7, 2023
- The Mint Gaming Hall (Corbin) - Sept. 7, 2023
- The Mint Gaming Hall (Cumberland) - Sept. 7, 2023
- Derby City Gaming & Hotel (Louisville) - Sept. 7, 2023
- Derby City Gaming Downtown (Louisville) - Sept. 7, 2023
- Ellis Park (Henderson) - Sept. 7, 2023
- Newport Racing & Gaming - Sept. 7, 2023
- Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel - Sept. 7, 2023
- Turfway Park Racing & Gaming (Florence) - Sept. 7, 2023
- Sandy's Racing & Gaming (Ashland) - Oct. 26, 2023
- Ellis Park (Owensboro) - Feb. 12, 2025
What You Can Legally Wager On in the Bluegrass State
Kentucky gamblers have a full suite of sports on which to speculate - even including exotic options such as bare-knuckles boxing, rugby, rowing, jai alai, and popular eSports competitions such as League of Legends, Counterstrike 2, and Call of Duty.
Unlike many states, wagers on state university sporting events are permitted, as are individual college player prop bets on performances. You can place a bet on the NFL draft, but not on The Academy Awards. Have a hunch instead on the winner of the annual July 4 Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest? Yes, you can place that wager in Kentucky.
Official Sports Teams
While Kentucky does not have a team in the four traditional major sports, Cincinnati, Ohio is so close to the state border that the city's international airport is actually located in Kentucky. That makes residents in the northwestern part of the state tend to look to the NFL's Bengals and MLB's Reds. But with Louisville right on the Indiana border, those locals often prefer to root for the NFL's Indianapolis Colts and/or the NBA's Indiana Pacers.
The University of Kentucky is an iconic men's basketball brand, with the best all-time winning percentage (.759) in NCAA history, eight national titles (including in 2012), and a total of 17 Final Four appearances. Louisville has its own bragging rights, with three national titles and 10 Final Four appearances. Those two are joined by Western Kentucky as Division I football programs, with Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State, Murray State, and Northern Kentucky also featuring D-1 basketball programs.
Betting on Sports in Kentucky vs Neighboring States
Kentucky, at $5.1 billion in wagers entering fall 2025, was dwarfed by neighbors Illinois ($51.9 billion), Virginia ($24.7 billion), Indiana ($23.4 billion), Ohio ($21.8 billion), and Tennessee ($19.9 billion). But it has outflanked West Virginia ($3.1 billion), and Missouri didn't even launch sports betting until Dec. 1, 2025.
Timeline of Legalization of Sports Betting in Kentucky
There was talk in the Kentucky statehouse about sports betting legalization less than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court granted that option to any state in mid-2018. But Republican lawmakers were divided on the idea for several years before ultimate passage of the bill.
- Jan. 14, 2020 - A Kentucky lawmaker introduced a bill that would legalize sports betting.
- Feb. 6, 2020 - First-term Gov. Andy Beshear urged state legislators to legalize sports betting, citing the competitive disadvantage the state was experiencing versus numerous nearby states.
- April 8, 2020 - The legislative session ended for the year with no action taken.
- April 14, 2022 - After the sports betting proposal gained no traction in 2021, either, the Kentucky House of Representatives passed the bill in March 2022. But a month later, the bill died without the state Senate even taking up a vote.
- March 30, 2023 - With the clock ticking toward the end of yet another annual legislative session, the state Senate passed the bill by a 25-12. margin. Beshear signed it into law just a day later.
- Sept. 7, 2023 - The state authorized the launch of retail sportsbooks, with mobile sportsbooks to follow three weeks later.
It is typical of legal gambling expansion of any kind in the U.S. for lawmaker opposition to weaken once several neighboring states authorize a new form of gambling. That's exactly what happened in the case of Kentucky in 2023 - and in 2025, in Missouri as well.
Kentucky Sports Betting Handle & Revenue
Kentucky is the 26th-largest U.S. state by population, and 20th in all-time sports betting handle. But 2025 is only the second full year of the wagering in the state, so Kentucky is primed to move up a couple of notches by 2027. Only four states have a higher sportsbook "hold" rate than Kentucky's 11.1% - not ideal for the state's gamblers, but beneficial to the state's tax base.
Kentucky is the 26th-largest U.S. state by population, and 20th in all-time sports betting handle. But 2025 is only the second full year of the wagering in the state, so Kentucky is primed to move up a couple of notches by 2027. Only four states have a higher sportsbook "hold" rate than Kentucky's 11.1% - not ideal for the state's gamblers, but beneficial to the state's tax base.
| Total Handle to Date: | Kentucky sportsbooks have taken in $5.1 billion in wagers through August 2025. |
| Tax Revenue to Date: | Also through Aug. 2025, Kentucky has taken in $78.2 million in taxes from the state's mobile and retail sportsbooks. |
| Breakdown of Online vs. Retail Share | Mobile sports betting operators have taken in 96.9% of all wagers in Kentucky through September 2025 to 3.1% of wagers that the retail sportsbooks have taken. These figures are right around the national average. |
| YoY Growth Rates: | The state's sports betting handle of $2.4 billion in 2024 easily will be topped in 2025, as $2.1 billion already was wagered in the first nine months of the year. |
| Handle Milestones: | November 2024 produced a state record $301.7 million in betting handle, with September 2025 coming up just short at $295.8 billion. |
Official Team and Sportsbook Partnerships
There are several sports betting partnerships set up in the Bluegrass State, some of which include:
- Indianapolis Colts x Caesars x Fanatics
- Churchill Downs x Fanduel
- Keeneland Race Course and The Red Mile x Caesars
- Ellis Park x ESPN Bet
- Turfway Park x FanDuel
- Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel x Fanatics
- The Mint Gaming Hall at Kentucky Downs (Franklin) x Circa Sports
Licensing & Oversight
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission was founded in 1906, making it the oldest such governing body in the sport in the U.S. The agency became the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Commission prior to the launch of sports wagering in the state in 2023.
The commission is charged with regulating horse racing, pari-mutuel wagering, sports betting, horse breed integrity and development, and charitable gaming in the state.
Responsible Gambling in KY
The Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling has as its priorities increasing awareness of problem gambling, promoting prevention and research, and advocating for the availability of treatment.
Residents who suspect that they have crossed the line into having become a compulsive gambler can call 1-800-GAMBLER or call the council at 502-223-1823 or email them at [email protected]
State law directs that 2.5% of the tax collected from gross revenue made by sportsbooks goes to help fund problem gambling resources.
Summing Up Sports Betting in Kentucky
Top Reasons to Bet in Kentucky
- The University of Kentucky was ranked 9th and Louisville 11th in The Associated Press 2025-26 preseason men's basketball poll, so fans of both teams may enjoy placing some bets on their teams along the way to what seems like a sure thing to qualify for the 68-team "March Madness" postseason tournament. The No. 20 Louisville and No. 24 Kentucky women's basketball preseason rankings also bode well for very successful seasons.
- Louisville-area residents also are likely to have enjoyed a stellar - and surprising - first half of the 2025 NFL season from the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts.
- The authorization of all individual college prop bets in Kentucky is becoming controversial, but at least for now that popular form of gambling still is on the table.
Top Reasons Not to Bet in Kentucky
- The nearby NFL Cincinnati Bengals have suffered through a lost season in 2025, with superstar quarterback Joe Burrows sidelined with injuries for most of the season.
- It has been 35 years since the MLB Cincinnati Reds won a World Series, while the Bengals have never won a Super Bowl. Those are not strong incentives to root, root, root - or bet on - for the home team.
Final Thoughts on Sports Betting in Kentucky
The initial inclination of state lawmakers to protect the state's iconic horse racing industry was reasonable - as was the belated pivot after seeing so much of Kentucky residents' discretionary gambling dollars cross the border into other states.
NCAA President Charlie Baker's letter to state officials that allow individual college prop betting was received in 2024 in Kentucky, but no action was taken. The fact that neighboring states Ohio, Virginia, Tennessee, and West Virginia all have banned all such wagers (with Missouri banning them on in-state college players and Indiana only allowing them before - not during - games) can work one of two ways in Kentucky.
Regulators could decide to join in with their neighbors - or remain the outlier in hopes that some gamblers near the Kentucky border travel to their state specifically to make such bets.
A few sportsbooks follow state law that allows 18-year-olds to bet on sports as they do on horse races. Other sportsbooks, however, are sticking with the 21-year-old minimum applicable in most other states.
Finally, there does not appear to be much political appetite to raise the mobile sportsbook tax from the current 14.25%. Since that is close to the median rate in the U.S., there isn't really any great urgency to change that figure.
FAQ: Kentucky Mobile Sports Betting
Is online sports betting legal in Kentucky?
Yes, online sports betting officially launched in Kentucky on September 28, 2023. You can now legally place bets through licensed sportsbook apps.
How old do I have to be to bet online in Kentucky?
You must be at least 18 years old to bet on sports in Kentucky. This applies to both online and retail sportsbooks.
Which sportsbooks are available in Kentucky?
As of now, seven major brands are active in Kentucky. I'd recommend books like Caesars, FanDuel, and Fanatics.
Can I bet on college sports in Kentucky?
Yes, you can. Kentucky allows betting on both in-state and out-of-state college teams with no major restrictions.
Does Kentucky offer promo codes or bonuses for new users?
Most sportsbooks in Kentucky offer generous welcome bonuses, such as bonus bets or bet-and-get deals, which may not require special codes. Just check each site using the links here for the latest offers.
