Kentucky hopes to possibly expand the range of gaming options available to residents with a new bill introduced in the Legislature at the start of the new session.
On Tuesday, Kentucky Rep. Thomas Huff filed House Bill 33that wants to allow counties to vote locally on whether they want to put commercial casinos in their areas.
Kentucky takes first step toward commercial casinos
Currently, the Bluegrass State has no commercial casinos and only allows horse racing tracks and historic horse racing venues, as well as commercial sportsbooks.
Starting September 28, 2023, you will also be able to bet on sports online in Kentucky using DraftKings, FanDuel AND Caesar’s betting houses available throughout the state.
The state’s General Assembly could build momentum to legalize commercial casinos this legislative session and even get it through the Senate and onto Gov. Andy Beshear’s desk.
Governor Beshear has been a prominent supporter of legalized gambling, seeing it as a good opportunity to increase the state’s government budget and stem the tide of illegal gambling. Commercial casinos can be They taxed 21% of your gross gaming income House Bill 33 directs revenue to Kentucky’s General Fund.
Huff also wants casinos to pay an additional $3 for each person who enters the casino, but the text goes into much more detail about how commercial casinos could reach the country.
For example, although counties will have the right to decide for themselves whether they want to move forward with a commercial casino project, counties that do not meet the minimum requirements 30,000 inhabitants Under the bill, they would not be allowed to be considered hosts.
Allowing and giving the green light to such projects would require a referendum and, failing that, a citizen-led survey or petition. Although some counties may be at a disadvantage, the bill provides an opportunity for even small places to become eligible hosts.
Kentucky has a history of promoting the expansion of the game.
For example, if a county does not meet the minimum population size of 30,000 residents but already has a chartered racing association, it would still be eligible to qualify for such a project.
The news comes after a year of successful sports betting in Kentucky. The Bluegrass State is cautious about the subject of the game.
However, prior to the legalization of sports gambling, the state successfully introduced historic racing machines, indicating a clear willingness among residents to move with the times.
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