Here are the companies licensed to take sports wagers in Kentucky, starting in September
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Tuesday announced which horse racing tracks will be licensed to operate sports betting facilities and take in-person bets in two weeks, as well as which companies will be licensed to take online bets later in September.
The actions by the regulatory commission move Kentucky closer to allowing legal and taxed wagering on sporting contests, including pro and college games, after the state legislature passed a law in this year's session following many years of failed attempts.
Approved facility operators can take in-person sports wagers starting Sept. 7, with approved mobile applications able to begin taking such wagers Sept. 28. Per the new state law, an excise tax of 9.75% will be placed on in-person bets, with a 14.25% tax rate for online wagers.
The seven horse racing track operators approved as licensed sports betting facilities are:
Churchill Downs, Louisville
Cumberland Run (ECL Corbin LLC), Corbin and Williamsburg facilities
Ellis Park (Ellis Entertainment LLC), Henderson
The Red Mile (Lexington Trots Breeders Association LLC), Lexington
Sandy's Gaming and Racing (Revolutionary Racing Kentucky LLC), Ashland (not yet open)
Turfway Park, Florence
Oak Grove Gaming and Racing (WKY Development), Oak Grove
The commission members unanimously approved a temporary license for each of the seven companies to be sports betting retail operators, with the commission able to later convert those to annual licenses.
Under the new law, only the state's licensed horse racing track operators are permitted to apply to be a licensed sports betting facility operator — which requires a $500,000 fee — with betting allowed there and on the licensed websites and phone apps of the companies with which they partner. Each facility operator is able to partner with up to three companies for retail and online betting.
A press release from the Horse Racing Commission added that some additional historical horse racing satellite facilities of Churchill Downs are approved for in-person sports betting, including one in Newport, two more of its Derby City Gaming facilities in Louisville and a proposed Ellis Park facility in Owensboro.
The commission members also approved the following companies for a temporary license to be a mobile or retail wagering service provider in partnerships with approved tracks:
American Wagering Inc. (Caesars), partnering with Red Mile for retail and mobile services;
Sports Information Services (Kambi), partnering with Churchill Downs, Ellis Park, Turfway Park and Oak Grove for retail services;
FanDuel, partnering with Turfway Park for mobile services;
DraftKings, partnering with Cumberland Run for retail and mobile services;
Penn Sports Interactive, partnering with Ellis Park for mobile services;
BetMGM, partnering with Sandy's Gaming and Racing on retail and mobile services;
Circa, partnering with Cumberland Run for mobile services;
Fanatics, partnering with Oak Grove for mobile services;
Bet365, partnering with Sandy's Gaming and Racing for mobile services.
Additional regulations on sports betting were previously approved by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and Gov. Andy Beshear in July, including measures to ensure children don’t wager (only those ages 18 or older are legally allowed to bet), protect confidentiality, prevent money laundering and encourage responsible gaming.
While online wagering does not begin until Sept. 28, Kentuckians can pre-register an account with approved mobile applications starting Aug. 28 and can begin depositing money onto that account on Sept. 7.
Beshear, in a press release Tuesday, thanked the commissioners "for their dedication to getting this done right and getting it done in time for the opening of the NFL season," noting that retail locations will be open in 16 days.
“We are excited to open sports wagering on our target date as we continue working through this careful process dedicated to wagering integrity and protecting bettors in the state of Kentucky,” stated KHRC chairman Jonathan Rabinowitz in the press release.
Where can Kentuckians place sports bets Sept. 7?
Churchill Downs announced Wednesday that six of the facilities it owns across Kentucky will be able to take in-person bets on sports on Sept. 7.
These retail locations include:
Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, with 15 sports betting kiosks
Derby City Gaming & Hotel in Louisville, with 15 sports betting kiosks
Ellis Park Racing & Gaming in Henderson, with five sports betting kiosks
Newport Racing & Gaming in Newport, with 10 sports betting kiosks
Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel in Oak Grove, with 20 sports betting kiosks
Turfway Park Racing & Gaming in Florence, 15 sports betting kiosks
In a press release announcing its six sports betting locations would be open for business the first day, Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen thanked the legislature, Beshear and the Horse Racing Commission "for their efforts in making this a reality," adding that sports betting "as a tourism and economic development opportunity will further strengthen the state’s signature equine industry by bringing new guests into our live and historical racing venues.”
Churchill Downs and other horse track operators have relied heavily on facilities with historical horse racing machines over the past decade, which closely resemble slot machines and the legislature explicitly made legal in 2021.
There is still uncertainty on which of the other approved tracks and facilities will be open for business to take in-person bets on Sept. 7.
The Red Mile announced in May that it had partnered with Caesars Sportsbook to offer wagering once regulations were approved. Its current gaming and racing complex is home to more than 950 historical horse racing machines.
Churchill Downs also has another Derby City Gaming facility opening soon in downtown Louisville, which was approved to take in-person sports bets.
Though Churchill Downs does not have a mobile service provider attached specifically to its license, it will partner with its affiliated facilities at Turfway, Ellis and Oak Grove, who have their own mobile vendors. A spokeswoman indicated the company's online betting app, TwinSpires, has exited the sports wagering market and now focuses only on horse race wagering.
More: How will sports betting work in Kentucky? Questions and answers ahead of the state rollout
More: Rules in place, Kentucky sports betting will start in September
Staff writer Lucas Aulbach contributed to this story.
Reach reporter Joe Sonka at jsonka@courierjournal.com and follow him on Twitter at @joesonka.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Here are companies set to take Kentucky sports wagers in September
