Sports betting officially goes mobile at 6 AM tomorrow morning in Kentucky, far expanding the reach of sportsbooks and giving fans a way to bet without heading to one of the in-person sites that have been open since early this month.
While original estimates going back years put the state’s potential sports betting revenue at $23M annually, most consider that number a floor, not a ceiling.
A recent BetKentucky survey found 42% of Kentuckians expect to place a bet at some point, with the majority – more than 67% – naming DraftKings as their likely online platform of choice.
But according to other surveys, for many it won’t be the first time. Even though online sports wagering hasn’t been legal up until now, many have placed bets online anyway. Max Bichsel, the vice president of gambling.com, tells WAVE3 betters can rest easier now.
"You have a lot of protections and the state is providing those protections in the form of regulation," he says.
Despite a relatively speedy process to get sports betting up and running in Kentucky, officials say they expect the transition to be fairly seamless for those logging on legally for the first time.
