The Frankfort LINK: A sports betting bill is introduced in the legislature

Sports betting is alive in Kentucky’s statehouse after a legislator filed a bill on the final day for House bills to be introduced during the 2023 legislative session. 

Rep. Michael Meredith (R-Oakland) filed the bill,which he said is different from last year’s legislation. 

The new bill removes online poker, fantasy sports, and instead it focuses solely on sports wagering. 

Last year, House Bill 606 died in the Kentucky Senate despite last-minute maneuvering from former NKY Rep. Adam Koenig (R-Erlanger) — the bill’s sponsor. After Koenig lost his primary last May, many wondered who would carry the torch of sports betting in the Kentucky legislature. 

Meredith picked up up the baton. In House Bill 551, it clarifies the Horse Racing Commission’s Regulatory Authority and Structure, allowing the tracks to be the main licensees but also allowing them to contract with three sports wagering companies instead of it being just one like in previous bills.

Tax rates will also be the same — 9.75% on in-person bets and 14.25% on mobile and online bets, which were included in last year’s House Bill 606. 

The way the new bill is written, for the first 12 months, users will need to register their account at a track, but then users will be able to wage their bets remotely. 

While the bill died in the Senate last year, the makeup of the Senate has changed, and Meredith believes they might have some additional support, though he wouldn’t comment on potential votes.  

We also talked with former Rep. Adam Koenig — who now as the first-ever executive director of the Kentucky Quarter Horse Racing Association.