In Kentucky, legal gambling consists of parimutuel betting, including historical horseracing, the lottery and charitable bingo. But state Rep. Adam Koenig once again is sponsoring a bill in the 2022 session that would add legalized sports betting to the list.
State Senator Damon Thayer said Kentuckians are traveling to neighboring states where sports betting is legal. “What that is doing is sending the tax paid on Indiana sports betting to Indianapolis instead of those Kentucky dollars coming to Frankfort for us to spend on things like education, pensions, corrections and Medicaid,” Thayer noted.
He stated legalizing sports betting could continue to be challenging. But, he said, “I think it’s just a matter of time whether we get it done this year or it waits until 2023, but the longer we wait, the more Kentucky tax dollars will be going over the border.”
Horseracing industry leaders agree that legalized sports betting is sure to be legalized sooner rather than later. They want to be included in the profits when it happens, said Ned Toffey, general manager at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington. “I think there are sufficient gambling dollars to go around even if other sports do have legalized betting. But certainly, the thoroughbred industry has worked on the gambling side of things for a very long time and so it’s very important that they’re able to maintain a stake in the gambling dollars,” Toffey said.
Expanded gambling has inched forward in Kentucky due to opposition by religious and conservative groups. The Lexington-based Family Foundation in particular has waged a decade-long legal battle against historical horseracing in Kentucky.
