Online casino kentucky
New casino sites to play real money
As kentucky does not offer any form of casino, residents can travel across the state borders to ohio, indiana or illinois where they can play slot machines, blackjack, roulette, mini-baccarat, craps and many variations of poker. Simply put, there is no online casino in kentucky, therefore no opportunities to play without a deposit. Even so, some sites outside the state do offer the chance to play the games on their websites without necessitating a real-money deposit. This type of deals allow players to try out the game with a set amount of bonus money. It is possible to cash out winnings but these are restricted by certain terms and conditions. There are those sites requiring a playthrough condition to be fulfilled before any winnings can be withdrawn.
Guide to online casinos in kentucky: the best kentucky casino sites for 2020
Unfortunately kentucky has not legalized land based or online casinos. The state has very strict laws when it comes to gambling. Horseracing and the lottery are available but there are no casinos. Legislative efforts have not been able to pass a bill to legalize casinos. It does not look likely that any casinos will be opened soon. Many residents of the state cross state lines to indiana and ohio in order to enjoy a casino experience.
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- We are all round experts in gambling. We have dedicated teams across the gambling industry, including for casino games such as slots and have created an online roulette guide.
- We keep on top of any changes to the law by closely following the movements of the american gaming association and the department of charitable gaming.
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- American gaming association
- Charitabl gamin board
Available casino games in kentucky
As kentucky does not offer any form of casino, residents can travel across the state borders to ohio, indiana or illinois where they can play slot machines, blackjack, roulette, mini-baccarat, craps and many variations of poker.
- Roulette – players win by guessing where the ball lands when the wheel stops spinning.
- Blackjack – players try to get a card hand as close to 21 as possible.
- Craps – very popular game based on rolling certain combinations of two dice.
- Bingo – match selected numbers against randomly drawn numbers.
- Poker – hugely popular card game with many variations of playing type.
Biggest kentucky casinos
With no casinos available in the state, residents can travel across state lines to indiana where there are plenty of opportunities to play. One very popular casino near the state border is horseshoe southern indiana. Part of the caesars group and lives up to the caesars reputation for style and gaming variety. 1,650 slot machines a variety of table games and a poker room with 30 tables.
- Horseshoe southern indiana casino hotel – 11999 avenue of the emperors southeast, elizabeth, indiana
- Belterra casino resort – 777 belterra dr., florence indiana
- Rising star casino resort – 777 rising star dr., rising sun, indiana
- Hollywood casino lawrenceburg, 777 hollywood blvd., lawrenceburg, indiana
History of casino gambling in kentucky
Kentucky has no casinos in the state. The state has a strong history of horseracing thanks to the kentucky derby having first taken place in 1875. The state was also late to introduce a state lottery. Charitable gaming was allowed in the 1990’s but this has limitations as to what can be wagered or won. To see the full picture you might want to check our detailed kentucky gambling page
| year | event |
|---|---|
| 1875 | kentucky derby runs for the first time. |
| 1931 | legal attempt fails to stop horseracing betting |
| 1988 | A state lottery is passed through the senate, the first draw took place a year later in 1989. |
| 1992 | charitable gaming prohibition is relaxed, allowing events to take place including bingo. |
| 2006-2011 | kentucky sues a poker company, pokerstars, for accepting players from kentucky to take part in their games. |
Casino gambling age in kentucky
There is no legal casino gambling in kentucky and that means, no legal gambling age has been defined. However, as residents can travel across state to gamble it is worthwhile to know the legal ages there. Indiana, ohio and illinois all have a minimum age of 21 for gambling in the casino. Although minors are often allowed into casinos for shows and dining, they are not allowed to enter the gaming floor. Heavy fines can be imposed to both the minor, the parents and the casino employee.
Responsible gambling and addiction prevention
Although kentucky does not offer any casino gambling, there is help and advice available for people with gambling addictions. The state offers counseling and holds gamblers anonymous meetings. They offer a 24 hour helpline for anyone who feels they are suffering with a gambling problem. More details can be found at the kentucky council on problem gambling.
Can I play without deposit?
Simply put, there is no online casino in kentucky, therefore no opportunities to play without a deposit. Even so, some sites outside the state do offer the chance to play the games on their websites without necessitating a real-money deposit. This type of deals allow players to try out the game with a set amount of bonus money. It is possible to cash out winnings but these are restricted by certain terms and conditions. There are those sites requiring a playthrough condition to be fulfilled before any winnings can be withdrawn.
Upcoming casino regulation and expected changes
Kentucky has no casino and has no online casino available for residents. There have been efforts to introduce casinos but all have failed. It is very unlikely that there will be any changes in these laws in the near future. In the meantime, residents will continue to travel across the state lines to neighboring states to take part in the casino experience. With recent online gambling crack-downs in the state it is unlikely that there will be any progress with an online casino. If there are any changes we will keep you up to date. In the meantime, you can familiarize yourself with what the casinos in new jersey have to offer as gambling there is legal.
Kentucky guide to legal gambling
Kentucky presents an interesting case when it comes to online gambling offerings. No other state has such a prohibitive atmosphere and an unmistakable place in the national gambling landscape. Kentucky’s gambling laws are as restrictive as those found in other largely conservative states. No casinos exist inside state lines, and numerous bills to allow their introduction have failed.
At the same time, the bluegrass state is also home to the most prestigious horse race in the world, the kentucky derby. Pari-mutuel wagering is almost a birthright and can be found at several large tracks throughout the state.
That’s the extent of gambling in kentucky right now, but lawmakers in the state have been persistent in efforting the legalization of sports betting.
The latest includes gov. Andy beshear, during his state of the commonwealth in january, announcing his “commitment to the future” by creating new revenue streams in kentucky. This involves a sports betting bill filed by rep. Adam koenig that would also legalize online poker and daily fantasy sports.
This is also the place where bourbon whiskey is produced, yet distilleries are often located in dry counties. Many residents cannot even buy the state’s most famous products. Perhaps kentucky is content to be a place of contradictions.
Sports betting in kentucky
The bluegrass state in 2019 made multiple efforts to legalize sports betting. Of four proposed bills, only koenig’s advanced through a committee. But that was as far as it got.
This latest bill, house bill 137, will remove the ban on in-state college wagering while adding an 18-month limit on the in-person requirement for online registration.
That prohibition on betting on kentucky teams apparently drew the most complaints from legislators and the public alike.
In addition to legalizing online poker and DFS, kentucky could potentially expand gaming even more by giving the green light for online casinos.
While that remains to be seen, koenig’s proposal would authorize land-based and online sportsbooks to operate via horse racing tracks and motorsports speedways throughout the state.
The bill has sailed through a state house committee by a vote of 18-0 and is expected to clear the full chamber in due time.
Online gambling
There is no specific statute in kentucky that governs online gambling’s legality. However, given the restrictive nature of the state’s laws with regard to gambling in general (basically everything is unlawful except horse racing), it’s a dodgy proposition to engage in online gambling in kentucky.
There is one gigantic exception. Many states allow gambling under the auspices if said gambling is a function of the state lottery. Hence, many states that outlaw slot machines permit video lottery terminals, which are functionally the same to players. Kentucky has a similar situation, but unsurprisingly, it must funnel its gambling through the horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering carveout in its laws.
So kentucky does have online gambling of a sort. Churchill downs operates twin spires, a website that allows residents to wager on horse races at the track from the comfort of their home. Twin spires is even accessible via mobile devices.
Kentucky residents can also play the state lottery online. The state’s lottery website simply advertises the ability to “play now” on multi-state drawings offered through the site. In a state without any casinos (even tribal ones), it is startling to find two unabashed gambling sites doing business — one run by the state, no less.
Online gambling operators
| website | site address | owner | type of games offered |
| twin spires | www.Twinspires.Com | churchill downs | pari-mutuel wagering, including simulcast |
| kentucky lottery | play.Kylottery.Com | state of kentucky | multi-state prize lotteries, including mega millions and powerball |
Social casino options
With no in-state casino options, there are also no options for tie-ins to local casinos through social gaming. The social casino routes are the usual group of offerings. These include: slotomania, double down, big fish, and zynga.
Residents of northern kentucky may also be interested in some of the properties that surround the state, in illinois, indiana, and west virginia. Hollywood casino in lawrenceburg, indiana, offers a play4fun network (as do all hollywood properties) where players can sample games for free.
State casino operator history
As mentioned earlier, there are no casinos of any kind in kentucky. State law is very explicit in its prohibition. It uses what is known as the “dominant factor” theory in its determination of the law. The theory ascribes the mantle of gambling to any game where random chance predominates the outcome over skill. This standard has a carveout for horse racing (which could withstand some argument for skill being the dominant factor – handicapping has plenty of validity) and, somewhat farcically, lottery, which is perhaps the least skillful game in existence.
Horse racing
Nevertheless, kentucky’s history with gambling as it pertains to horse racing is rich and vibrant. The first horse races in the territory ran in the 1780s in lexington and louisville, despite the lack of formal tracks at that time. The horses ran through city parks and, in louisville’s case, right down main street.
The first official track opened in 1805. It wasn’t until 1873, when meriwether lewis clark (grandson of william clark, the famous explorer) developed a series of races that culminated in the grand finale – a derby, which mimicked similar events in europe.
Clark’s maternal side of the family, the churchills, were a prominent louisville family that owned several acres of land in the area. Clark designed a mile-and-a-quarter-long track on one piece of their land in the southern part of louisville’s downtown. The track became known as churchill downs.
Each year, tens of thousands of people flock to churchill downs to view the kentucky derby. It is considered the most prestigious horserace in the US, and perhaps the world. The derby has run each may since 1875 and is the first leg of the triple crown. The derby itself is an event steeped in traditions of old. The men wear suits and ties, and women often wear ornate dresses and humongous hats.
Churchill downs is one of six racetracks in the state. All the racetracks offer what is known as instant racing. These are machines that allow wagering on historical races and resemble a slot machine. Though none of the other tracks match the renown of churchill downs, many are quite well-respected venues in the horse racing community. This is especially true of keeneland, which has been rated the best thoroughbred track in the US. It’s also on the national register of historic places.
Out-of-state casinos
There are also many casinos situated along the borders of kentucky, particularly on the northern border along the ohio river. Of significance is horseshoe southern indiana. This casino is, for all intents and purposes, a louisville casino (separated only by the river itself). Elsewhere, residents of kentucky also have easy access to belterra casino resort (a mere 80 miles from lexington), wheeling island hotel-casino-racetrack in west virginia, rivers casino in pennsylvania, and even rocky gap casino in maryland.
All in all, kentucky residents have some options available, even without the benefit of homegrown casinos. At this time, no legislation appears forthcoming. A bill introduced in 2016 found no support in the state legislature. But, given the decadence of kentucky’s horse racing and the proximity to other states, kentuckians should have no problems finding a good time.
Kentucky online casinos
With the kentucky derby taking place annually to much fanfare, your first thought might be that kentucky is fairly lenient when it comes to gambling within the state. This is confusing because kentucky, in many regards, is one of the most conservative states in the country. Despite this, kentucky has a storied history of gambling and was known as being the united states’ top gambling destination for a while.
Even though places like las vegas and atlantic city have superseded kentucky as gambling destinations. Even while this much is true, there are still plenty of casinos and other gambling locations located throughout the state. In addition to this there is also a strong presence of online casinos as well, even if the laws surrounding these casinos is a bit murky and confusing. All in all, kentucky is a great place for gamblers no matter what type of gambling you would like to take part in.
What are the best kentucky real money gambling sites?
Is online gambling legal in kentucky?
Ever since online casinos were first established more than a decade ago kentuckians have been able to play as much as they want with as much money as they want. No matter how many horror stories you hear, the fact of the matter is that kentucky law enforcement has never busted down the door of someone’s house simply because they decided to play a few rounds of roulette for real money online. These very same horror stories are amplified by the fact that kentucky is one of the most conservative states in the whole country.
As for what the future holds, that much is not so clear. With how accessible gambling is in the state of kentucky, you would think that the next most logical step is to set up an intrastate online casino network. Unfortunately, up to this point any effort to establish such a system has not gotten very far.
This much more than likely speaks to kentucky’s conservative roots. Despite this, state residents will find that playing real money casino games online is no challenge at all. In addition to the classic online experience, players also have the option to play casino games on the go as well. Nowadays, most of the casinos offering their services to residents of kentucky also offer mobile platforms that allow you to gamble on your smartphone and/or tablet so long as you are connected to the internet. So while it is disappointing that kentucky has not legalized nor regulated online casinos, it really shouldn’t be something that deters you from playing.
Legal status of brick and mortar casinos — kentucky
As it stands, there are no full casinos in the state of kentucky. People who wish to gamble at full-scale brick and mortar establishments are going to have to travel to states like ohio or indiana. With that being said, most horse tracks—and there are many—offer other forms of gambling apart from simply betting on the results of a given horse race. These places are still a far cry from traditional brick and mortar casinos with regard to the number and variety of games that they offer. For many kentuckians, it is frustrating that a state that is so full of horse betting does not allow for other forms of betting. There are so many other states that offer a multitude of gambling methods at their racetracks, however kentucky has held firm and has made it clear that gambling is not going to run rampant across the state.
There have been murmurings about kentucky setting up state-run brick and mortar casinos, but these are nothing more than rumors. As it is with many other southern states, the overwhelmingly republican constituency means that any efforts to promote legalized gambling—whether it be online or at brick and mortar sites—are going to be met with a lot of resistance. We have seen that over the past decade and fully expect to see much of the same going forward.
For those who do not necessarily need to the full casino experience, the fact of the matter is that they will have plenty of gambling options no matter what part of the state that they call home. Once again, with how conservative the state is I would not hold my breath when it comes to establishing any brick and mortar sites. This is why playing at online casinos seems to be the most viable option for kentucky citizens. This is not the worst thing in the world, however we understand that it is preferred that online casinos are regulated and licensed by the state in which they are being played.
Kentucky online casinos & gambling FAQ
- Abbreviation: KY
- State motto: let us be grateful to god.
- Capital city: frankfort
- Population estimate: 4.45 million (26th)
- Website: http://www.Kentucky.Gov/
Is there are regulated online horse race betting regulated by the state?
Even though kentucky is about the most horse-obsessed state in the country, there is no online, regulated system by which you can place bets on horse races. Of course, with the excessive amount of online casinos catering to horse bettors, kentucky residents should have no issues placing bets on any and all horse racing events.
Will my funds be seized/taken if I try to cash out?
The short answer to this is no. So long as you are working with a reputable casino that follows the rules of the united states, you will have absolutely no issues cashing out funds. The two best methods by which you can receive your winnings are through a mailed check or by way of direct bank transfer.
When will regulated online casinos become a thing?
Regulated online casinos have been talked about in kentucky for a while now, but next to no progress has been made with regard to the establishment of an intrastate casino network.
How safe are kentucky online casinos?
So long as you do some research and are playing at a site that has gained a solid reputation for yourself, you will have no issues whatsoever. The key to this, however, is that you need to put in the time to figure out what sites are worth playing at and which ones are not.
Are there a wide variety of games offered at kentucky online casinos?
This too depends upon the site you are choosing to play at, but most often you will find that there is no shortage of games being offered. Whether it be slots, blackjack, roulette, or even live play, modern casinos, especially those who have gained solid reputations, always work to provide a wide variety of games.
Kentucky
When it comes to gambling, kentucky is relatively limited in what it offers compared to other US states. There are no traditional casinos, whether it be tribal or commercial.
But kentucky does have horse racing! And it is proudly famous for it. You may have heard of the kentucky derby, an annual horse race with a prize pool the exceeds $3 million. This event is so prestigious, that horses from around the world compete in it. And just think, kentucky derby is only just one of many horse races being held throughout the state. Such is the popularity of horse racing.
Within the horse racing venues, you will also find the opportunity to gamble on what first appears to be slot machines. These machines, however, aren’t slot machines per se. Rather they are bingo machines that turnover each round extremely quickly. They therefore seem like slot machines because of the speed at which they turnover. If you are familiar with the federal law, indian gambling regulatory act (IGRA), you will notice that these machines behave just like the class II bingo machines. As a player, no difference can be clearly seen between a class II slot machine and your stock standard typical casino slot machine.
Other forms of gambling in the state include: bingo, pull tabs and raffles. Casino table games, dog racing and poker are without question deemed illegal. Whilst online casinos and daily fantasy sports remain questionable due to the state’s outdated laws and ambiguity.
Best 4 kentucky casinos online
Kentucky online gambling
Online gambling in kentucky is technically unaddressed by the state laws. They may be construed implicitly as illegal, but it’s not clear cut. As with many other US states, the state laws regarding online gambling are complex, vague and outdated. Many aspects of the gambling laws are not applicable to online gambling, and therefore offshore online casino providers can accept US players.
On the other hand, there are no onshore online casino providers, until there is a proper licensing and regulatory framework established by the state.
Daily fantasy sports (DFS) remains unregulated and therefore is also in legal limbo. Having said that the big brands of fanduel and draftking willingly accept players from kentucky. And to this day, no player has ever been charged for possible breach of the law. If the kentucky law enforcement agents did find cause to prosecute their first point of call would be the operators of fanduel and draftking, rather than the players.
Online horse betting is legal and compliments the popularity of horse racing in the state, which shows there is some common sense in the world.
Other forms of online gambling accepted are the lottery, keno and powerball.
Kentucky ranks as the 29th in the US for playing at offshore online casinos. Wagering an estimated $8.5 million per year, it ranks just above oklahoma and behind tennessee. The state with the largest wagering for offshore online casino is california at $180 million.
Overview of kentucky casinos
Churchill downs racetrack
700 central ave, louisville, kentucky
The most famous of all racetracks in kentucky. Churchill downs holds races all year round, with its most famous being the kentucky derby. Spanning over two weeks, competitors from around the world participate to claim the huge prize pool on offer. Horse racing bets can be placed in kiosks located around the venue. In addition slot like bingo machines are interspersed throughout the venue.
The red mile kentucky harness & historic racing
1200 red mile road, lexington, kentucky
the red mile is located at 1200 red mile road in lexington, kentucky. It is the second oldest harness track in the world and the oldest track in lexington. For those unfamiliar with harness racing, it’s a type of horse racing where the horses pull two wheeled sulkies (like a chariot) that carries the rider.
In addition to the horse racing, there are over 900 of the slot machines.
Kentucky downs casino
5629 nashville road, franklin, kentucky
even though horse racing is the main attraction kentucky downs also offers 631 gaming slots.
Derby city gaming
4520 poplar level road, louisville, kentucky
the derby city gaming is a $65 million state-of-the-art gambling facility that offers gaming similar to a traditional casino. It offers over 900 terminals that appear to be slot machines but in fact operate more like bingo. Their machines very much follow the class II application of the law that apply to native american slot machines. With technology derby city gaming has been able to produce machines that on the surface look like slots, but are high powered parimutuel wagering machines that are based on previously run horse races.
Kentucky gambling turnover in 2019
Horse race betting
By far the most popular form of betting in kentucky is the horses. Nearly reaching $1.5 billion in turnover, it shows that horse racing is more than alive and well in this state.
State lottery handle
The state lottery comes in at second, with a handle of nearly $1.2 billion. Horse race and state lottery are the two clear leaders of gambling in kentucky with the rest falling behind.
Online casinos and sports betting
Not widely known that it is permitted to gamble at offshore online casinos and sports betting, the handle is very low in comparison to the horses and state lottery. Coming in a $9.5m and $8m for the year respectively, these are big numbers, but shows that there are some kentucky players enjoying playing offshore.
Gambling laws and legislation
Despite being the home of the kentucky derby, in this conservative state gambling of all forms is all but prohibited, including casinos and gaming establishments and by the same nature, social gaming of all sorts. See KRS § 528.010 et seq. Permitted activities include charitable gambling, state lottery, and, of course, limited forms of horse racing.
Sports betting: except for fantasy leagues, sports betting remains illegal in kentucky though there are no direct laws prohibiting online sports books and offshore platforms do accept kentucky residents. It is unlikely this will soon change though in recent years kentucky lawmakers proposed failed bills to legalize sports betting (HB 175, SB 23). Several offshore fantasy betting sites accept kentucky residents, including fanduel and draftkings.
Race betting: like in many states, horse betting is legal in kentucky at its racing tracks as well as other venues that allow pari-mutuel betting. The online race betting site, twinspires, is operated by the state’s most venerable track – churchill downs.
Online gambling: online lottery play is permitted and provided by the kentucky lottery site. While no laws expressly prohibit online gambling and gaming in kentucky, the domestic facilitation of gambling is prohibited. This prohibition against domestic operations arguably does not apply to offshore platforms. Thus, due to the unregulated nature of online gambling in the state, individuals wishing to participate in online gambling, including poker and other such games, and who are at least eighteen years old can expect to safely place bets online through licensed and regulated offshore platforms though no recourse will be available should winnings not be paid.
Online gaming: skill games are permitted, and the U.S.-based worldwinner accepts bets on games of skill (such as scrabble and bejeweled) from kentucky residents. Players who wish to participate in online poker and similar games may do so only through unlicensed offshore platforms, the majority of whom will not operate in the state given its history of aggressive law enforcement and seizing of domains.
The information in this multi-state research is made available by a licensed, U.S. Attorney, and is for informational purposes only. We make no representations that the information is complete or correct in its entirety. It should not be construed as providing specific legal advice, and you acknowledge that no attorney/client relationship exists between us. This brief should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed gambling and entertainment lawyer in your state.
This depends on which form of gambling being referred to. Online horse bets, bingo, keno, powerball are legal. DFS and online casinos are not legitimately legal, but then again offshore online casinos accept kentucky players, and the big brands of DFS i.E. Fanduel and draftking also accept kentucky players.
Yes, there are offshore online casino providers that accept many US players. These providers, however, strictly regulate which US states are permitted to gamble and therefore acceptance is dependent on where you reside. Kentucky players are accepted by the following online casino providers which gambledex strongly recommends: bovada, slots.Lv and vegas casino online
There are no local online casino operators in kentucky. There are only offshore online casino operators, of which you can trust the large, established big brands.
To this day, there has been no instance of any law enforcement agency prosecuting a kentucky player for gambling online on an offshore online casino provider.
Kentucky online casinos
While many of the states in america have casinos, kentucky is one of the very few states in america that does not provide a legal status for casinos. But when you look on the internet there are a few kentucky online casinos where americans can play at. The reason behind american online casinos heavily banking on alternative fund transfer methods is because the UIGEA bill has made life a little tough for american online casinos by stating that financial institutions that deal with online casinos will be prosecuted. But the best part about this act is that it does not say online gambling is illegal but just makes it very hard for financial institutions to be directly associated with online casinos. Hopefully this bill will be changed in time, so until then you will be restricted to the few online casinos that accept american and kentucky gamblers.
So if you are a resident of kentucky who has an undying passion for gambling, then you simple have to pick online casinos that accept american players and have fund transfer methods that are supported in america. So, if you ask me as to what are the best kentucky online casinos that I would go for, it definitely will have to be crazy slots casino, go casino and VIP slots casino.
If you are a slots fan, well then you have hit the jackpot with crazy slots casino. This casino promises to give you all the slot games that you can handle and this comes along with many other online casino games. Crazy slots casino puts a big smile on your face with a welcome bonus of $12,000 which makes you think вђњwhat were they even thinking?Вђќ well, to answer that I have to say they were thinking of kentucky players like us and about giving us an experience that we will never forget. Vegas technology has made sure that the graphics and games are top class to give us an excellent gaming experience. As for the fund transfer methods, you simply can pick one that you are okay with and set up your account for some non-stop online gaming.
For kentucky players go casino should be on your must go to list, as this casino gives you a surprise of your life with a welcome bonus of $20,000 which is too good to be true. But we are talking about an online casino that is powered by vegas technology and is constantly on top of the list for the best casinos that american players can play at. Trust me, it took a long time to use up the go casino welcome bonus and when I found out that there were many other bonuses and promotions, I simply swore my loyalty to this fabulous casino.
VIP slots casino is another casino that makes life a joy for online kentucky gamblers who love slots. With a welcome bonus of $777 as just the beginning of the long promotions list it is hard to say no to this great casino that is powered by vegas technology. With secure and plentiful fund transfer methods this is a casino that acts as a favourite destination for both international players and american players. It is not just slots that you will find in this casino as they also offer all the main online casino games and they all come with some mind blowing jackpots.
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Kentucky casinos and gambling
Short summary: kentucky is one of the most restrictive states for land-based gambling of the fifty as this state is home to zero casinos proper. In addition to a booming lottery industry, kentucky is home to six significant horse racetracks, including the churchill downs, and offers live and simulcast wagering. A few of these tracks also offer historical horse racing terminals, which resemble slot machines, but are not.
Most kentucky residents who want to play casino games travel to indiana, west virginia, or ohio where they can play legally. Indiana has many riverboat based casinos along the ohio river, west virginia has a dog track and casino fairly close to kentucky and cincinnati, ohio has a large casino just across the river from kentucky.
Perhaps the world’s most famous horse racing event, the kentucky derby, is held annually at churchill downs, located in louisville, kentucky. This event is the biggest of its kind and has run every year since 1875. Additionally, it gets more racing handle (total bets) than any other race throughout the year, both live and simulcast. Finally, it is the first of the three events (the others being the belmont stakes and the preakness) to comprise the triple crown, so in order to be a triple crown contender, the horse must first win this event.
Naturally, being one of the biggest states in the country (if not arguably the biggest) for live horse racing/betting, the state of kentucky also allows for pari-mutuel simulcast wagering. Kentucky, however, does not have any active greyhound tracks.
While there are no casinos or slot machines of the traditional sense in kentucky, at least not legal ones, the state’s racetracks can be home (if they choose) to historical racing machines. Essentially, the player makes bets on historical races on these electronic gambling devices and the function is really (as with other horse tracks with real slot machines or VLT’s) to drum up additional revenue for the tracks.
Additional forms of gambling are legal in the state, including:
The state of kentucky is pretty generous insofar as it does not take a cut of charitable gambling revenues, rather, it just has licensing fees and collects fines for any violations of the code. They may make some money in that regard, however, as kentucky seems to have some of the most stringent and specific charitable gambling codes in the country.
The lottery is quite popular in kentucky. As you can see, for fiscal year 2018, the lottery cracked one billion in sales pretty safely. This performance was led mainly by impressive revenues in scratch-off sales, but all other lottery segments reported positive growth. Kentucky does participate in the two largest national lotteries: powerball and mega millions.
Based on a population estimate of 4.468 million residents, the average (mean) lottery sales per resident, per annum, was $233.33 for fiscal year 2018. Remember, while kentucky does have lottery keno (drawings shown on TV in the locations of keno vendors) there are no video lottery terminals (ie: slots) to prop up these numbers. Given that keno came in with less than 100 million dollars in revenue for the year, these numbers are largely driven by pure lottery performance.
The legality of online gambling in kentucky
Due to the fact that there is no specifically legalized online gambling sites in the state, kentucky is one of the states to whom most internet casinos will offer their services. Almost invariably, these sites will be housed outside of the united states and out of the reach of kentucky law enforcement. The state really can’t do anything in an area in which it has no jurisdiction.
However, there are many online casinos who will NOT conduct business in kentucky. This is largely due to a lawsuit in the state in which the state essentially awarded itself (though it claimed it was on behalf of the consumers) hundreds of millions of dollars for players allegedly defrauded by pokerstars. This decision was later overturned (december 2018).
On appeal, with the appeals court maintaining that the state is NOT an individual and may not sue in the capacity of an individual. More than that, the state of kentucky failed to identify any actual individuals who lost money on pokerstars.
Interestingly, unless the statute of limitations has tolled, it means that a class action lawsuit against pokerstars could/could have theoretically prevailed, but that is because there were several (alleged) individuals who were aggrieved by pokerstars’ practices, the state itself was clearly unharmed.
In any case, many sites do not operate within the confines of the state of kentucky for precisely this reason. There are several other sites who operate in a licensed and regulated way elsewhere in the united states (such as caesar’s in new jersey, for one example) who would obviously choose not to operate in an unregulated manner in other states.
The closest that kentucky comes to legalized and regulated online gambling is the fact that they do conduct ilottery internet sales, but those sales comprise just under 1% of total lottery sales in fiscal year 2018 as they came in at barely over ten million dollars.
Kentucky online casinos
Kentucky is probably best known in the gambling world for hosting the kentucky derby, which a major horse racing event. Aside from its massive horse and dog racing industry, kentucky has little to offer to real money gaming enthusiasts. As you’d expect, kentucky regulations have been designed to protect its horse betting industry.
This means that unlicensed gambling operators face severe penalties, which can range from heavy fines to a prison term. Fortunately, the state isn’t really interested in going after individual casino enthusiasts who enjoy playing on offshore sites, which means that many kentucky residents pursue their hobby by playing on sites like bovada.
Kentucky gambling laws
Gambling in kentucky is covered by kentucky revised statutes 372, but you should keep in mind that some of the definitions are included in kentucky revised statutes 528. The penalties for most gambling offences are rather light, but as mentioned above, illegal gambling operators shouldn’t expect to be let off with nothing more than a slap on the wrist.
The current kentucky regulations do not address the issue of online casino gambling, which means that most players do not worry about the legality of playing at an offshore site. As usual, theoretically it would be possible for an overzealous kentucky official to argue that playing at an online gambling site is illegal under the current regulations, but no players have been prosecuted or charged so far.
Online casinos
Kentucky doesn’t have a regulated intrastate online casino market, which means that kentucky casino enthusiasts are forced to play on offshore casino sites, which range from reputable businesses like bovada or win palace to rather shady sites that might refuse to send you your winnings if you get really lucky. Consequently, kentucky residents should stick exclusively to reliable sites – all the casinos listed here have been thoroughly checked by our experts, which means that they’re perfectly safe to play on.
Offshore casino sites that accept kentucky players
Most of the kentucky-friendly offshore sites are powered by real time gaming software due to the fact that other companies simply refuse to cooperate with businesses that accept united states-based players, as the vast majority of online gambling industry still believes the US to be a high-risk market. Some of the slots, table games, and video poker variants are available on multiple sites, but the best casinos like bovada also offer exclusive games from third-party developers, including the latest three-dimensional slots from betsoft.
Most kentucky residents prefer to fund their offshore casino accounts using standard credit card payments, as most of those sites simply do not support e-wallet services when dealing with US-based customers. The most popular credit card brands are visa and mastercard, but if you could always try american express – at worst, the transaction will be rejected and you’ll have to try another card.
If you don’t want to go through the hassle of trying multiple cards, you can always deposit via a western union money order. On a brighter note, cash out requests placed by kentucky players are processed without any unnecessary delays, as the casinos use 100% reliable methods like wire transfers and checks.
Developing legal scenarios
Kentucky authorities are notorious in the online gambling community for trying to seize the assets of some high-profile poker companies, including full tilt poker. Due to this, it’d be rather improbable for the current kentucky lawmakers to pass an i-gaming bill that would legalize intrastate casino sites. Nevertheless, this situation might change in the future, as kentucky legislators are planning to expand intrastate land gambling by allowing licensed establishments to offer classic casino games like slots, roulette, or blackjack.
Kentucky online betting information
Kentucky is like most states in that its gambling laws are vague and enforcement of the law is spotty. The situation can be confusing so my goal with this page is to give you a clear-cut overview of the legal situation for online betting in kentucky. This will include an explanation of the state’s gaming laws, a list of legal places to bet online and a healthy dose of speculation about the future of online gaming in the state.
Some forms of internet betting that are legal at the federal level are also legal in kentucky. What’s legal right now in kentucky includes online horse racing betting, fantasy sports, skill games and online lottery games. Each state has the ability to prohibit anything that is legal at the national level but kentucky has no problem with any of those.
Until recently, kentucky sports betting efforts were almost nonexistent and the odds of legalization seemed dim. That has changed in recent times with a pair of bills that were introduced in 2017 and 2018 as well as a panel that was formed in 2018 to consider the issue. Kentucky is far from a shoe-in for legal sports betting, but interest is clearly growing.
Legal kentucky betting sites
Horse and greyhound betting:
There’s quite a bit of misinformation regarding what is legal and what is not in kentucky. Even today, I can run a search on google for kentucky gambling sites and find dozens of websites recommending online casinos and poker sites that aren’t actually legal. In most cases, they fail to mention that those sites are located overseas, are unregulated and do break US law by accepting customers from the state.
I don’t mean to pass judgment on other websites, but I would like to let you know the reality of the situation. It’s not a crime for YOU to place bets at offshore sites but those sites most definitely are committing a crime. Additionally, there are no regulated or mainstream betting sites operating here in the US without proper licensing. Any online sportsbook willing to take wagers from kentucky residents today is by default an operation of questionable repute.
What you see above is a list of sites that are truly legal in kentucky. Each one of these is located in the united states and answers to the law of the land right here in the USA. These sites all accept real money customers from kentucky.
Gaming laws in kentucky
Kentucky’s revised statutes provide a good deal of reading material if you’re inclined to read the nuanced details. What stands out as most important are the state’s definitions of “gambling” and what happens if someone is caught partaking in or promoting unlawful gambling.
“…staking or risking something of value upon the outcome of a contest, game, gaming scheme, or gaming device which is based upon an element of chance, in accord with an agreement or understanding that someone will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome…”
This is interpreted to include poker (both online and real-world) and all other forms of gambling not explicitly legalized in KY. The state does not punish people who participate in gambling as players, but it does consider it a crime to “advance” or “profit from” gambling activity.
The text “profit from” does not include winning money as a gambler. The state defines profiting from gambling as making money in some way other than as a player. For example, you would be considered in violation if you ran your own sportsbook, charged people a fee to play casino games in your house, etc.
Promoting gambling is considered a class A misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500. This is bumped up to a class D felony if you operate a bookmaking organization that utilizes 3 or more people and accepts more than $500 in a single day of operating, if you run a lottery scheme that accumulates more than $500 in any one day or if you operate an illegal gambling device. The punishment for which is imprisonment of 1 to 5 years.
The most important things to take away from this are that:
- Poker counts as gambling in kentucky
- It is not a crime to participate in gambling as a player
- It is a crime to promote, profit from or advance gambling activity
Sports betting in kentucky
Kentucky does not yet have legal sports betting, but some lawmakers are intent on seeing that change. In june of 2018, a bipartisan nine-member panel consisting of six representatives and three senators was formed to study legalization and then draft and file legislation to that aim.
According to news reports, lawmakers are considering drafting legislation that would legalize betting on professional sports and, to a lesser degree, college sports. The panel also has also been tasked with drafting regulations to govern sports betting in kentucky.
Several pieces of legislation have also been introduced in recent years to bring sports betting to kentucky. None of the following bills have made it to law, but the repeated introduction of these bills indicates there is some level of support for kentucky sports betting.
Bill request 15: september 2018
Bill request 15 was introduced in september 2018 and suggested a number of sensible regulations such as giving the kentucky lottery corporation regulatory oversight, establishing a minimum age of 18 and prohibiting insiders from betting on their own sports.
The bill did not discuss tax rates at all, so hopefully legislators have learned since their previous attempts that the issue of tax rates needs to be studied more carefully. Lawmakers are keen on taxing sports betting if they legalize it, but nobody gains if the tax rates are so high that they prevent sportsbooks from even staying in business.
Bill request 29: june 2018
Bill request 29 was introduced in june of 2018 as an effort to legalize, regulate and tax sports betting in kentucky. The bill looked promising in most regards but suffered one fatal flaw. It repeated a mistake found in a similar piece of legislation introduced the year before: a large tax on total betting handle.
The june 2018 bill called for a 3% tax on betting handle, which means the tax would be applied to the total amount wagered at KY sportsbooks. Because sportsbooks only keep somewhere in the range of 4-5% of total betting handle after paying out winners, assessing a 3% tax is tantamount to taxing operators more than 50% on net revenue.
House bill 356: february 2018
Another bill, house bill 536, was introduced in february of 2018 and sought to legalize wagering on professional and collegiate sports for customers 18 and older. The kentucky lottery corporation would have overseen sports betting under that bill had it not stalled in committee.
2017 sports betting bill
A bill first introduced by senator julian carroll in september of 2017 sought to legalize sports betting now that the federal prohibition of sports betting has ended. That bill has since stalled without further action.
BR 155 would have amended kentucky gambling laws to allow sports wagering, enacted a $250,000 licensing fee for operators, set a 20% tax on betting handle and establish the kentucky horse racing commission as the agency in charge of regulating sports betting.
The bill’s call for a 20% tax on betting handle was a non-starter. Charging 20% on betting handle is entirely too high considering the average sportsbook in nevada is only able to retain 5% of total betting handle after paying out winnings. A 20% tax on handle would have made it difficult if not impossible to run a profitable sportsbook. The positive takeaway from the bill was it was at least a way to start the conversation.
For the bill to take effect, it plainly stated the federal professional and amateur sports protection act (PASPA) must be repealed, amended or stricken down in such a way to make it legal for kentucky to regulate sports betting. After the supreme court ruled against PASPA in may of 2018, it opened the pathway for this bill to make real progress.
At the time the bill was introduced, the most likely avenue for PASPA to be ended was a supreme court case pitting new jersey against the major north american sports leagues. New jersey had passed a law effectively legalizing sports betting, and the sports leagues sued to stop the law from taking effect. New jersey challenged the constitutionality of PASPA and the case went all the way to the supreme court.
Before the supreme court issued a ruling, many predicted it would rule in favor of new jersey and possibly strike down PASPA as unconstitutional. Kentucky and a number of other states got an early start in crafting sports betting legislation just in case – and were rewarded when the supreme court did indeed strike down PASPA.
Fantasy sports sites in kentucky
The major fantasy sports sites operate in kentucky due to the prevailing interpretation of kentucky gambling law being favorable to DFS. The next step for kentucky fantasy sites is to achieve firm legal clarity with the passage of DFS legislation.
Lawmakers attempted to do exactly that with HB 414 introduced in february of 2017. That bill made it to a full house vote and received a favorable vote of 37-36, but came up short of the 40 votes required to send that bill to the senate.
If successful, HB 414 would have been an excellent bill for the daily fantasy industry. It sought initial licensing and annual renewal fees of just $5,000 and established a tax rate of 6%. Furthermore, if the tax bill for the year came out to more than $5,000, the initial registration or annual renewal fee could be used to offset taxes due for the year.
Although the bill was defeated, players can take heart knowing it wasn’t defeated due to overwhelming opposition. The lack of success ultimately came down to apathy more than any sort of deep-seated anti-DFS sentiment in kentucky. The issue simply does not register very high on the list on the list of priorities for most lawmakers. Today, it is business as usual for the daily fantasy industry in kentucky.
Horse racing betting in kentucky
Kentucky, home of churchill downs and the famed kentucky derby, has a long and rich horse racing tradition that runs strong to this day.
Whether it is the climate and geography that makes for naturally strong horses as some claim or a tradition born of necessity at a time when parimutuel wagering was stifled elsewhere that makes kentucky a horse racing bastion as others claim, the fact is the bluegrass state houses some of the best horse racing in the world.
Today, the kentucky horse racing commission (KHRC) oversees parimutuel wagering and horse racing across the state. Multiple racetracks operate throughout kentucky and the state houses major events such as the kentucky derby, kentucky oaks, clark handicap and blue grass stakes.
Visitors to any of the state’s licensed racetracks may place wagers in-person while everyone else can bet online through any of the several racing betting sites that are licensed to do business in kentucky.
Off-track betting locations (otbs) in kentucky
The last remaining otbs in kentucky closed in 2013 to put an end to off-track betting. However, horse racing fans may still visit mobile betting sites or any of the state’s racetracks to place wagers on races held in kentucky and around the country.
Advance deposit wagering (ADW) in kentucky
The KHRC licenses online betting sites (adws) such as twinspires and betamerica to offer mobile betting to customers in kentucky. The major horse racing websites all operate in kentucky today to offer customers online wagering from anywhere in state lines.
In 2016, the KHRC approved a new rule requiring each licensed ADW to secure a bond equal to 125% the average daily account balance of its in-state customers. This rule is intended to ensure the security of customer funds and was passed despite some concerns that out-of-state adws would choose to forgo kentucky licensing but continue operating in the state.
Licensed racetracks in kentucky
A list of racetracks organized by type can be found at the KHRC website here. These tracks host live racing, simulcast wagering and in some cases, historical horse racing machines that operate in a manner similar to slots.
Currently, active racetracks in kentucky include:
Thoroughbred racing, simulcasting and home to the legendary kentucky derby
700 central ave
louisville, KY 40208
Thoroughbred racing, simulcasting and historical horse racing machines
3300 highway 41 N
henderson, KY 42420
Thoroughbred racing and simulcasting wagering
4201 versailles road
lexington, KY 40588
Thoroughbred racing, simulcast wagering and historical horse racing machines
5629 nashville road
franklin, KY 52134
Thoroughbred racing and simulcast wagering
7500 turfway road
florence, KY 41042
Harness racing, simulcast wagering and historical horse racing machines
1200 red mile road
lexington, KY 40504
Future of online poker and casinos
Kentucky won’t be voted “most likely state to legalize online poker” any time soon. This is, after all, the state that seized 141 poker and gambling domains in 2008 with no notice to the defendants. The commonwealth of kentucky argued that the sites in question accepted wagers from players within the state in flagrant disregard of kentucky law.
The domain owners never even had a chance to make the case that kentucky had no jurisdiction to enforce its laws over domains hosted in completely different countries. Nevertheless, kentucky moved to take the domains. Pokerstars later agreed to pay $6,000,000 to gets its domain back while many of the other sites simply moved to other urls.
On a more positive side, kentucky does embrace some forms of online betting now. The state has no problem with online fantasy sports, horse betting and skill games. Some other state have recoiled at the thought of even those forms of online wagering, but kentucky has so far shown no interest in prohibiting those activities.
What’s missing now is any desire to change the current state of affairs. At the time of this writing, there are no initiatives to bring online casinos or poker to the state. This could change at some point but as of now, it’s a waiting game.
Kentucky online lottery
The kentucky lottery took its games online in april, 2016 with little fanfare in order to keep up with the times. Kentucky lottery CEO arch gleason explained the rationale behind the decision in simple terms:
“our customers are aging, and in order to maintain our business, we need to be more attractive to a younger demographic who are accustomed to conducting a majority of their retail purchases online. This group is very mobile, and they expect brands to be accessible online and on their devices. We’re delivering what they want.”
Initially, the kentucky online lottery (see our review here) launched with five instant play scratch-off games and access to the most popular draw games. Over time, the website added additional games to bring the total up to 39 instant win games plus access to powerball, mega millions, keno, cash ball 225 and lucky for life.
State residents 18 and older with a valid KY address can play online by visiting the official kentucky lottery website at play.Kylottery.Com. From there, you can register for an account and then fund your online wallet via credit card, debit card or by visiting an authorized lottery retailer to purchase igifts or ifunds.
Purchasing entries to draw games online is as simple as buying them in person. Once you have a funded online lottery account, you can log in from your desktop or mobile device to choose a game, choose your numbers and specify a number of entries to purchase. All ticket prices are the same online as they are at local retailers.
The kentucky lottery’s instant win games work similarly to scratch cards that are sold across the state. Although everything happens online, the basic mechanics are the same. You buy a ticket, “scratch” it off using your mouse or mobile device and win prizes for matching symbols. Online scratchers can be purchases for prices ranging from $0.50 to $10 and can pay as much as $150,000.
Kentucky 18+ casinos
Known for its world-class tracks, this industry is as strong as kentucky bourbon itself and dates back to the late 1700’s. Today, kentucky has become more than just an old frontier state as it has developed its own culture, music, way of life, and entertainment.
Some can argue that horse racing was perfected here as KY is known for its thoroughbred breeding, racing, and state-of-the-art performance testing. Not only that, no one can deny the influence the kentucky derby has had on the racing industry; this race began in 1875, is held every first saturday in may, and remains the oldest running horse race in the united states.
While there are no casinos available in the bluegrass state there remain other forms of legal gambling available for visitors and residents. Players, of course, may wager on horse running, trotting, pacing, and harness races against other players, enjoy instant racing which is an electronic historic horse racing machine found at racetracks, purchase multi-state lottery tickets like power ball, mega millions, and state-run lottery tickets such as the kentucky lottery, and participate in charitable gambling.
Casino gamblers have few options outside of these offers and usually travel to states with 18+ casinos to fulfill their gaming desires. However, players who are considering traveling to an out of state casino should read up on 18+ casino laws as this will give a general overview of the law, although casino gambling laws differ on a state to state basis.
Can you gamble at 18 in kentucky?
Young KY players may access all but one of the bluegrass state’s gaming entertainment. Eighteen-year-olds may purchase lottery tickets at lottery retailers or online, participate in charitable gambling which includes pull tabs, bingo games, raffles and scratch-off type raffles, and wager against other players on horse races either at a live track or simulcasted at off-track betting locations.
Players that are eighteen are not allowed to gamble on instant races, otherwise known as historical horse racing machines which offer exotic wagers instead of pari-mutuel wagering as traditionally done for live races. While there are no casinos or poker rooms to be found in the bluegrass state, players may access casino games and play poker through legal resources such as licensed offshore online 18+ casinos.
Is it legal to gamble online in kentucky?
Yes. There are no laws within kentucky that specifically outlaw legal international online casinos, but rather target illegal kentucky-based or US-based gaming sites. State-based gaming destinations must be regulated at the state level to be legal. For instance, nevada, delaware, and new jersey all have their own regulated online gaming platforms for their state players.
The online gaming crackdown of 2008 in KY was triggered by unregulated gaming sites operating on US soil. However, players should not worry as licensed and regulated offshore internet gaming destinations are acceptable to gamble on; we even provide a list of reliable online casinos that KY players aged eighteen or older can participate on.
Most reliable 18+ online casinos for kentucky players
Bluegrass state players 18 and older may gamble for real money on casino games hosted by the online brands we provide below. Enjoy poker, sports betting, table games, specialty games, and slot options offered by these legal offshore gaming destinations. These recommended brands have personally undergone verification by our group of leading gaming analysts and specialists for the legality, quality, and security.
| Site name | bonus | USA | visit site |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 100% max $3,000 | play now full review |
| 2 |  | 200% max $5,000 | play now full review |
| 3 |  | 500% max $5,000 | play now full review |
| 4 |  | 100% max $1,000 | play nowfull review |
What kentucky casinos are 18 and up?
There are no KY land-based casinos that allow 18-year-olds to gamble in this state. This is because casinos are considered illegal in kentucky. However, KY players who are 18 can play online at offshore 18+ casinos without the worry of violating state or federal laws.
Available brick and mortar locations for legal gambling in kentucky
- Churchill downs
- Turfway park
- Kentucky downs
- Keeneland grounds
- Red mile
- Bluegrass downs
- Ellis park racing
- Thunder ridge
- Bingo fantastic
- Corbin bingo parlor
- Tiny town bingo
- Kentucky state line bingo
- Greenwood bingo hall
- Rainbow bingo
- Find a kentucky lottery retailer near you
Brief history of kentucky’s gambling laws
Present-day kentucky was once a popular hunting ground for tribes like the cherokee and shawnee, in fact, tribes often battled for the usage of the land as it was plentiful with wildlife and food. After european explorers began surveying and dividing the land, native tribes fought against them during the french and indian war.
After the war ended, parties were able to fully explore the land. Kentucky or at least part of the region was purchased through the jackson purchase. This led to its eventual statehood and the settlement of the land by east coast civilians and european immigrants.
It is assumed that kentucky’s love affair with horses began as soon as settlers from maryland and virginia migrated westward. Oftentimes, wealthy virginians would import their large horses from britain, these types of breeds would later become the standard for racing horses. By 1880, 92% of all taxpayers owned at least one horse. The average number of horses owned by a single family was 3.2. All the while, horse racing became ever more popular.
In 1750-1751, a surveying party led by dr. Thomas walker and christopher gist came to kentucky. Exploration and expeditions would be delayed for 10 years until wars between the native tribes and the british and french european explorers settled.
In 1767, an expedition was led by daniel boone.
In the 1770s, a wealthy virginia settler named william whitley came to build his home in KY. This settler built the first ever racetrack in the region beside his estate.
By 1774, the first permanent settlement was built in KY by james harrod. This would be called fort harrod which is located at present-day harrodsburg.
In 1787, wide-scale or attraction-based horse racing in KY begins.
In 1792, KY was granted its statehood.
By the 1800s, KY’s constitution was written with heavy anti-gambling statutes as a way to curb lotteries which were often corrupt.
In 1809, a kentucky jockey club began. Showing the popularity of the sport.
In 1875, the kentucky derby had its first run.
In 1891, KY banned all forms of gambling (specifically games of chance) with exception to sports wagering on horse racing.
By 1931, pari-mutuel betting had not taken off until it was pressured by anti-gambling groups to be banned. After legal battles in court, the high courts ruled that pari-mutuel betting was legal due to the skill required to play.
In 1988, the lottery act allowed KY to establish its own state-run lottery.
In 1989, the first lottery was drawn.
By 1992, KY legalized charitable gambling.
In 2008, over 140 domain names ending with .Com were categorized as gambling devices and seized by the state. It is assumed that because of the .Com domain location that they were based within the US or kentucky, thus making them illegal as they have no legitimate state or federal oversight and regulation.
In 2010, KY modified its definition of horse racing gambling to allow instant racing, otherwise known as historical racing machines. It was this same year that KY rejected a proposal to legalize casino gambling.
In 2011, after KY allowed for instant racing. Kentucky downs installed the instant racing machines at their track.
In 2012, ellis park did the same and installed historic racing machines on their track. Casino gambling was once again proposed but rejected by KY’s senate.
By 2014, anti-gambling groups tried to state that instant racing machines were just slots and took an appeal to the kentucky supreme courts. The courts ruled that this was not the case and that the kentucky racing commission had the authority to install instant racing games.
In 2015, red mile opened a historical racing machine parlor on their track location.
18+ online casinos for kentucky residents
Kentucky players can easily register to play on legal offshore gaming sites where they can access a wider range of games than those found within the bluegrass state. Players aged eighteen and older can legally gamble real-money on various casino games from specialty games like keno and bingo, to table games, slots, and even dice games such as craps and roulette. KY players are not restricted from the types of gaming available to them and have full access to features like poker and sports betting.
Faqs
What is the minimum legal gambling age in kentucky?
Kentucky’s minimum gambling age, as mentioned above, allows 18-year-olds to play the lotto, and participate in charitable gambling and pari-mutuel wagering on horses. 21-year-old visitors and residents can play on historical horse racing machines.
Is it really safe for kentucky residents to gamble online?
It is safe to gamble on legally registered and licensed internationally-based online casinos. Legal online gaming destinations must utilize secure technology and software to ensure player and casino safety. Of the brands we feature, every single one of them utilizes high-level data encryption, firewalls, anti-virus protection, and employ a 24/7 system monitoring division. These features are provided to certify a safe gaming destination for all players.
How do players know if they are gambling on A casino with fair games?
The only way players may know if a casino is hosting fair games is by reading through the casino’s policies which should state that they use random number generation technology and comply with internationally set fair gaming standards. One this same page, players should be able to find the online casino’s licensing and fair gaming audits, this allows players to view who regulated and authorized their gaming license and if they passed a 3 rd party agency’s fairness test.
All rngs are tested for functionality and those that produce truly random results may receive their completed compliance audit. If a player is participating on a gaming site where they cannot find a single one of these items, then they should stop gambling on that site as it may be malicious and illegal.
Which online gaming destinations accept kentucky players 18 and older?
KY players should only gamble on legal online casinos that serve their market. By this, we mean US players as most online brands do not host games for americans. Opting out of serving the US market saves a lot of online brands from the hassle and ever-changing red-tape.
The few brands that adhere to the US gaming market regulations and requirements may only allow players from KY that are at least 21. KY players as young as 18 should only participate on 18+ casinos in order to not violate the casino’s set minimum gambling age and receive their full payout (online casinos usually verify your age before paying out). We provided a table full of legal online casinos that accept KY players as young as eighteen.
What legal sportsbooks or poker sites can kentucky players 18 and over access?
We deliver an easily accessible list below for KY players 18 and older interested in playing poker or betting on sports. These three resources provide specialized platforms for poker and sports betting but also provide their own casino game titles and capabilities. First-time registers can utilize special promo codes to enable deposit match bonuses and other game promotions such as reload bonuses, free chips, and various daily bonuses.
Kentucky casinos, gambling, and law regulations: an overview
If you are a true gambling fan that happened to be in kentucky, you might find the state boring, as gambling is not exactly fancied here. Kentucky frowns upon almost every form of gambling, as opposed to some other states.
The only exception from the rule is horse racing, as the activity is a traditional thing in the state. Some other forms of gambling that are allowed in kentucky can be practiced only if they financially support a charity organization, education, or development of the state.
When it comes to online gambling, kentucky is still somewhere in the grey area where things are not so clearly defined.
If you are interested in more details about gambling laws in kentucky, legal forms of gambling, or online gambling regulations, you have come to the right place, as all those things will be discussed in the text below.
Top 3 kentucky online casinos
Gambling laws in kentucky — the law overview
The history of gambling in kentucky is closely related to the great depression. Before and after the great depression, kentucky took pride in the extensive collection of gambling clubs. The fact that casino gambling was considered illegal at the time didn’t stop these establishments from offering their services to interested customers.
All of that was highly influenced by the presence of various organized mobsters that controlled a lot of gaming activities in newport and other northern parts of the bluegrass state. In the 1930s, there were several famous clubs that operated in kentucky, like beverly hills club, the primrose club, the yorkshire club, the lookout house, and the flamingo.
The owners of these clubs competed for the market and tried to sabotage each other by any means possible. One of the clubs, the beverly hills club, was even set on fire, presumably by the competition.
Some club owners, like jimmy brink of the lookout house, went with a different approach in order to keep the business successful. He decided to partner with the gangsters, which proved to be the perfect choice as his club flourished for many years.
The form of gambling that was definitely legal in kentucky at the beginning was horse racing. Since 1875, kentucky has been home to one of the world’s most renowned races — the kentucky derby. At some point, the tracks tried to cut all the ties with any gambling-associated actions. However, in the 1920s, pari-mutuel wagering sank in and remained legal in kentucky ever since.
Nowadays, kentucky is still quite rigid with its gambling rules and regulations, but there are a few things you can do in the state.
What forms of gambling are allowed in kentucky?
Unfortunately for the residents of kentucky, the law hasn’t changed much in terms of gambling and typical activities that fall under the definition of it. You won’t find any casinos in the state, as these establishments are still considered illegal. Neither tribal casinos nor any other gambling-related institutions have ever become a part of this state’s gaming story.
What you can do for sure is place wagers on horse races. This is probably the only exception of the complete prohibition of standard forms of gambling in kentucky. We’ve got the kentucky derby that, together with the churchill downs racetrack, became one of the most prestigious races in the world. Wagering on horse racing is available throughout the whole year, and that’s not all.
Kentucky has introduced another form of legal gambling at the racetracks. They connected technology with horse racing and installed new racing game machines at race tracks. These machines remind of slot machines and they allow players to bet on historic races.
Another form of gambling available in kentucky is charitable gambling. This includes some standard games like bingo, raffles, and scratch-off type tickets. Such games are considered legal because the revenue made out of this type of gambling goes directly to the fund of a charity organization chosen by the state.
Important notice is that standard casino games like slots, table games, and video machines do not fall under the category of charitable gambling. Even live horse races are excluded from the list.
Finally, there is a lottery that includes games shared with other states. The aim of this gambling form is similar to charitable gambling, as the profit from the lottery is used for funding education and development of the state.
Is online gambling legal in kentucky?
Although kentucky stands firmly against almost all standard types of gambling, online gambling, in particular, has never been mentioned in any official documents. Officially, no law in kentucky outlaws online gambling in any way, which further implies that it may not be interpreted as illegal. Be that as it may, it is not named as legal either, therefore, punters are the ones to decide if engaging in such activities is worth a risk.
However, some forms of online gambling are officially allowed since kentucky supports pari-mutuel wagering on horse races via particular websites. The state made a small step towards accepting online gambling with the launching of the twin spires site. This is a website operated by churchill downs that is authorized to offer online wagering on horse racing from your home or anywhere else in kentucky.
Apart from that, kentucky residents can buy lottery tickets on the official website, which can also be taken as online gambling.
As no traces can be found of someone specifically prohibiting online gambling, some people choose to visit offshore online gambling sites that accept players from kentucky. The state officials, well aware of these actions, attempted to stop them by trying to seize 141 online gambling domains. Yet, this didn’t stop offshore gambling operators from accepting kentucky residents and give them the opportunity to play their favourite games online.
Also, the situation with the seizure of the domains in question affected only online gambling operators. The citizens of kentucky that participated in online gambling activities did not suffer the consequences of their actions, which gives the impression that online gambling in offshore casinos is not punishable by law.
Where to gamble in kentucky?
The rigid attitude towards gambling is the reason why you won’t find any land-based casinos in kentucky. Yet, the good idea might be to visit some of their racetracks since the state takes a lot of pride in their horse racing tradition.
Churchill downs
Churchill downs is located on central avenue in south louisville, and it represents the top thoroughbred racetrack in the state. The kentucky derby is the most well-known track that takes place at this venue, along with many other races available all year round. You can also watch the races from suites and private rooms, as well as enjoy a great dining experience at one of the many lounges. The exact address is 700 central ave, louisville, KY 40208.
Keeneland association inc
Another wonderful racetrack, according to regular visitors, is keeneland association inc. It is located in lexington, kentucky, and it has two different divisions. One is, of course, a thoroughbred racing facility called keeneland race course, while the other, keeneland sales, is a complex built for horse auctions. You can find it at 4201 versailles rd, lexington, KY 40510.
Kentucky downs
Somewhere between kentucky and tennessee, there is a thoroughbred horse racing track carrying the name kentucky downs. Although not the most popular one, this racetrack differs from other race tracks in many ways. It is built in a european style, which makes it stand out from typical american courses, and it doesn’t have an oval shape. Moreover, instead of dirt that is usually used, the surface is covered with turf.
You can also enjoy dining and drinks, followed by live entertainment almost every day. To check all this yourself, find the establishment on 5629 nashville rd, franklin, KY 42134.
Are casinos legal in kentucky?
No, unfortunately, the state of kentucky doesn’t allow standard casino gambling, as it is considered illegal. In fact, you cannot find any casinos within the state borders.
Is online gambling legal in kentucky?
Kentucky is somewhere in the grey area when it comes to online gambling. No kentucky law explicitly prohibits online gambling, yet this doesn’t mean that it is legal either.
What games can you gamble on in kentucky?
At the moment, the only legal forms of gambling in kentucky include horse racing bets, charitable gambling, and lottery.
What is the legal gambling age for players in kentucky?
The legal gambling age in kentucky is 18 years for all legal forms of gambling, including lottery and horse racing bets.
Who regulates legal forms of gambling in kentucky?
As the only legal form of gambling in kentucky is horse racing, the official authority assigned to regulate it is the kentucky horse racing authority.
So, let's see, what we have: before you can gamble legally in the state of kentucky we recommend you check the casino laws established there and the best venues that are avilable. At online casino kentucky
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