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Kentucky Sports Betting Bill Moving To House Floor After Approval

March 13, 2023

House Bill HB 551, which was introduced by Rep. Michael Meredith in February, has been approved by the committee and will now move to the House floor before potentially moving to the Senate. The bill will allow the state’s nine horse racing tracks to open retail sportsbooks and offer sports betting at their off-track historical gaming venues. It also makes provisions for mobile sports betting in Kentucky by allowing each track to partner with a recognized mobile sports betting provider. Speaking during committee testimony, the bill’s co-sponsor Rep. Al Gentry said: “Kentucky residents are participating in that activity already; they’re either doing illegally or simply going across the border and spending their discretionary dollars there. This will tax, regulate and make it legal.” However, there was some opposition to the bill notably from David Walls, executive director of the Family Foundation of Kentucky who told the committee: “This type of predatory gambling is designed to prey on human weakness with the government colluding with gambling interests to exploit our fellow Kentuckians. It is an industry designed not to create wealth, not to encourage hard work, but to simply transfer wealth from those with the little to a multibillion-dollar industry, while encouraging our citizens to gamble with their financial security.” Following several testimonies, the committee voted unanimously to approve the bill. The bill will now head for a third reading on the House floor, but no date has been given yet as to when this may take place.