Members of the nine-person Kentucky lawmakers’ sports betting working group recently heard the results of a study by the law firm Dinsmore & Shohl LLP indicating Kentucky is “a state that is in need of supplementary funding for the budget and the pension fund, and could be friendlier to a casino or sports wagering bill, especially in light of the general public approval of sports wagering.”
The study, titled “The Potential Impact of Christie vs. National Collegiate Athletic Association on the Future of Sports Betting in Kentucky,” first was presented at the Kentucky Bar Associations’ convention in June and was written before the U.S. Supreme Court lifted the federal ban on sports betting.
The study notes, “Kentucky already has a spectrum of gaming, from the state-supported lottery, including keno and mobile instant play gaming, to charitable gaming, to parimutuel wagering, including internet wagering with account wagering companies.”
The study reviews recent gambling legislation: BR 197which would amend the state constitution to allow casino gambling; BR 149, which would make casinos legal through a statutory amendment; and BR 155, sponsored by former Kentucky Governor, state Senator Julian Carroll, which would authorize the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission to regulate sports betting and tax handle at 20 percent. None of these bills passed out of committee. Carroll’s current bill, which he pre-filed in June and is similar to BR 155, lowers the tax rate to 3 percent.
