Kentucky will become the next state to legalize online sports betting after a successful Senate vote on Thursday afternoon.
The Kentucky sports betting bill cleared the final hurdle with just a few hours remaining in the 2023 legislative session.
It needed a two-third majority to pass, which required it to gain 23 votes, and state senators eventually voted 25-12 in favor of legalizing sports betting.
The vote followed an intense debate on the senate floor. Some lawmakers declared that people should have the freedom to do what they want, whereas others warned of potential addictions hurting Kentucky families, but it ultimately passed.
The House had already approved sports betting, so the bill now heads to Governor Andy Beshear’s desk to be signed into law.
The governor has already declared himself to be a supporter of sports betting, and he has indicated that he will sign the bill, so it is now seen as a formality.
It will hand the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission the power to regulate online and retail sports betting.
The state’s nine horseracing tracks will receive licenses to launch retail sportsbooks on their ground. Each track will also be able to host three online skins, meaning there could be up to 27 online sportsbooks in Kentucky.
The bill proposes a 14.25% tax on online sports betting revenue and a 9.75% tax on in-person revenue.
Previous polls have suggested that 65% of adults in Kentucky wanted sports betting to be legalized. It is the first state to legalize sports wagering in 2023, joining more than 25 others that have approved regulated sports betting since the federal ban was overturned in 2018.
