KY Sports Betting Guide: Kentucky Sportsbooks Legal Launch in September 2025

The basics of online sports betting in Kentucky

Sports betting is now legal in Kentucky. As of early September 2023 you can legally bet on sport in Kentucky at one of the approved land-based outlets, while mobile sports betting goes live on September 28. This follows the passing of the sports betting bill HB 551 earlier in the year.

This means that you can shortly legally bet on sports with top sports betting brands like BetMGM, FanDuel and DraftKings from anywhere in the Bluegrass State. Each of these online sportsbooks has had to partner up with a licensed physical sports venue to operate within the state.

Sports betting in KY is regulated by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, and you need to be at least 18 years to bet within the state. Just note that certain sportsbooks may require you to be 21 years or older.

You’ll be able to legally bet on a massive number of sports. From pro sporting leagues like the NFL, NHL, NBA and NBA through to college level sports, as long as it’s not a high school sport, you’ll probably be able to bet on it. The best part is that you can even wager on college sports taking place in Kentucky itself, which is great news for all fans of the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky college basketball teams.

• Legal mobile sports betting anywhere in KY
• Must be at least 18 years old
• Bet on professional and college-level sports
• Regulated by Kentucky Horse Racing Commission

Bet like a Pro

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The MGM Experience

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Helping you find the top KY online betting sites 

KY sports gambling was relatively recently launched and it gave everyone in the Bluegrass state a safe and legal way to play at a handful of online sportsbooks. While there are more betting sites to come, we thought that we’d get you started by showcasing the top KY online betting sites that you can use right now.

DraftKings - A great place for KY betting 

DraftKings: Pros & Cons

• $200 bonus bet welcome offer
• Awesome live betting platform
• Fun tournament betting feature
• Consistently reliable odds

• No betting on horse racing

DraftKings has put down a firm statement of intent in its bid to become the top sportsbook in Kentucky. The brand unleashed a pre-launch welcome offer that gives new customers $200 in bonus bets the minute the brand goes live. This means that you should be able to get plenty of extra credit to play with at the start of the new NFL season.

DraftKings is well known for being one of the biggest sportsbooks in the US, and it can be counted on to serve up superior odds for all pro league sporting events. The live betting platform at DraftKings is particularly impressive and you can even take part in cool tournaments against friends. Download the DraftKings KY app and you’ll quickly see why this is the sportsbook to be at.

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4.2/5

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DraftKings Highlights

• Diverse sports book
• Generous promotions
• User-friendly betting platform

BetMGM - Superior mobile betting in Kentucky

BetMGM: Pros & Cons

• $100 bonus bet sign up offer (TBC)
• Edit My Bet function
• Lots of enhanced odds deals
• Great sports betting odds

• Slightly complicated betting interface

Everyone knows that BetMGM is one of the breakthrough sportsbooks in the US sports betting revolution, and it’s great news that this brand is coming to Kentucky. BetMGM was a little slow in revealing its KY welcome offer, but it looks like new customers might be able to get $100 in bonus bets simply by signing up to the sportsbook for the first time.

From here, you’ll be able to experience all of the cool features of this betting platform like the handy Edit My Bet function as well as all of those useful enhanced odds deals. A great choice for anyone serious about sports betting in the Bluegrass State.

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4.3/5

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BetMGM Highlights

• Hundreds of betting markets for major events
• Live streaming offered
• Competitive odds

FanDuel - Legendary operator moves into KY

FanDuel: Pros & Cons

• Great same game parlays
• Excellent mobile app
• Relentlessly competitive odds
• Trusted online sportsbook

• Loyalty program could be better

This is another market-leading sportsbook who has big plans for Kentucky. You’ll understand this when you see the welcome offer that gives new customers $100 in bonus bets on launch day as well as a handy $100 off an NFL Sunday ticket.

Above all, FanDuel is a brand who can be trusted to put on a safe and enjoyable sports betting experience. You can come to this site and know that you’ll get great odds for anything from the Super Bowl through to college-level basketball games. We loved how intuitive the FanDuel app is, and you’ll have plenty of fun wagering on some same game parlays here.

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4.2/5

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FanDuel Highlights

• Extensive range of sports
• Competitive odds
• Speedy sportsbook platform

Fanatics - Hot new sportsbook comes to the Bluegrass State

Fanatics: Pros & Cons

• The hottest new sportsbook in the US
• Personalized betting pages
• Handy Fancash Rewards feature
• Successful app launch in other states

• KY welcome offer still to be confirmed

Fanatics is one of the hottest new sportsbooks to hit the online betting scene in the US. As such, it’s great news that the brand has made the move to come to Kentucky. The Fanatics app has already been entertaining sports fans in four other states, and there’s no reason why it can’t do the same in Kentucky.

Fanatics is keen to put the user experience first and this is something that can be seen in the personalized betting pages. Elsewhere you’ll find a cool Fancash Rewards feature that basically turns all of the bets you’ve made into credits that you can use to buy official sports merchandise at the Fanatics store. It’s too early to see what else the brand has to offer, but we think that Fanatics could be a big hit in KY.

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3.9/5

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Fanatics Highlights

• Comprehensive sports coverage
• User-friendly sportsbook
• Competitive betting odds

Caesars - Trusted brand for KY sports betting 

Caesars: Pros & Cons

• Four x $25 bonus bet welcome offer (TBC)
• Great Caesars Rewards program
• Good reputation for sports betting promos
• Reliably competitive betting odds

• Betting app could be better

Caesars has already made light work of becoming one of the biggest sportsbooks in the US, and there’s no reason why it can’t do the same in Kentucky. After all, the brand might be uncovering a promising welcome offer that could give you $25 in bonus bets up front and then $25 in bonus bets each Monday for three weeks after that.

This shows that Caesars is a great site for sports betting promos, and the brand has shown that it is more than capable of putting on some great deals in the past. Remember that existing customers can also take advantage of the Caesars Rewards program to get plenty of benefits for all of that betting. Plus with odds that are just as good as you’d get anywhere else, it’s easy to see why so many people trust Caesars for sports betting.

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4.4/5

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Caesars Sport Highlights

• Full Caesar promo
• Great value deal
• Awesome sportsbook bonus

Bet365 - Easily one of the best online Kentucky betting sites

Bet365: Pros & Cons

• $10 per touchdown welcome offer
• Routinely excellent sports betting odds
• Excellent range of betting lines
• Personalized app interface

• Some bug issues on the app

This is a UK-based sportsbook that has been making slow and steady progress in its bid to crack the US market. As such, it’s great news that Bet365 has decided to launch in Kentucky as the brand has shown that it can offer competitive odds and a massive number of betting lines for every elite-level sporting event.

New customers who sign up to Bet365 KY for the first time will get a great deal that gives them $10 per touchdown on a nominated NFL game up to $50. You’ll also love how the app features a cool personalized interface to help you hunt down exactly the kinds of odds you're after. Give Bet 365 a try and see why this is a sportsbook that is making serious waves.

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Bet365 Highlights

• Bet $1 get $365 in bets
• Just $10 minimum deposit
• Get $365 even if $1 bet loses

Compare these top KY online sportsbooks

We’ve handpicked some of the best sportsbooks who were there at the launch of legal sports betting in Kentucky. Take a look below to see which apps you can bet on, what their welcome offers are, and even which physical sportsbooks they have partnered up with.

What else to expect from sports betting in KY

It’s still early days for the sports betting scene in the Bluegrass State, and it’s clear that things are going to get even bigger and better. After all, while just eight operators have been approved for KY sports betting licenses so far, there could be as many as 27 legal sports betting apps further down the line.

We’ll be keeping this page updated with all of the information you need to make a success of sports betting in KY. From profiles of the hottest new sportsbooks to come to the Bluegrass State, to analysis of the latest promos for new customers, you’ll have all you need to enjoy the perfect way to bet. So that whether you want to bet on the NFL or college hockey, you can experience a superior way to bet in KY.

Conclusion - Get ready to enjoy online sports betting in Kentucky

It’s been a long time coming but legal sports betting in Kentucky is now a reality. This means that you can sign up to any of the sportsbooks featured in this guide and enjoy a legal, safe and fun way to bet on sport from anywhere within the Bluegrass State.

The best part is that we can look forward to many more KY betting sites launching as soon as they get the green light from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. So watch this space to make sure that you get the best possible experience of sports betting in KY.

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Kentucky sports betting FAQ