Kentucky recently approved online sports betting for 18+ players but has received backlash from neighboring states and some trusted gambling organizations.

Kentucky is now the 37th state to pass laws to allow domestic sports betting and the first state to legalize the activity in 2023. Kentucky is also the sixth jurisdiction to offer sports wagering to 18+ year-olds, joining New Hampshire, Washington D.C., Wyoming, Montana, and Rhode Island. 

The National Council of Problem Gambling (NCPG) has stated that they are concerned that there is no federal age regulation. 

U.S. Gambling Laws

Gambling laws at the federal level in the United States are vague. There is no set structure for gambling in the U.S., and the laws vary by state. Since gambling is legal at the federal level, local legislatures can determine their minimum gambling age by state. 

Laws concerning offshore gambling sites do not exist at the federal level, and states also have the option to restrict their players from accessing those sites. Washington is the only state to enact laws restricting offshore sportsbooks at this time, and while they are considered illegal at the state level, players can still access the sites. 

Online Sports Betting Sites

Online sports betting has been available to the U.S. since the early 2000s via offshore sites. On May 14th, 2018, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was repealed by the Supreme Court, allowing states to enact their laws concerning sports betting. 

Now that states are offering their own regulated sportsbooks, there has been a push at the federal level to ban offshore sports betting sites, but so far, they have yet to be successful. Offshore sites have taken preventative actions by pulling out of certain states and not offering their services to residents in the states they deem high-risk. 

Do Online Sportsbooks Offer More Than Just Odds?

Yes, it is not uncommon to find an online gambling site that offers sports odds, casino games, and poker, among other things. Our 18+ gambling site reviews detail each website’s gambling activities, popular banking methods, sign-up bonuses, restrictions, and more. 

It is important to note that a “sports” welcome bonus will not be accessible in the casino or poker rooms and vice versa. Each site bonus is tied to one specific activity and cannot be used on the other platforms.

Online sports betting sites offer numerous ways to bet on competitions, including game lines, future odds, props, and more. While betting on NFL football is still a top choice for most people who wager on sports, you will also find sports such as baseball, basketball, soccer, UFC, boxing, racing, golf, and much more.

West Virginia’s Lottery Interactive Wagering Act also known as HB 2934 has made sweeping legislative progress. The bill would permit five WV brick and mortar casinos to offer online casino and poker gambling. With the progress, the bill has received in just a week shows a majority of legislators are in full support of the expansion.

HB 2934 passed the House Judiciary Committee and now sits in the House of Representatives to be voted on. Any online gambling operations in West Virginia which include casino and poker gambling will be overseen by the West Virginia Lottery Commission. Domestic online gambling providers would be required to pay a tax of 15%.

The WV legislation session will be ending on March 9^th, explaining the urgency behind the passing of this bill in the WV legislature. However, few expect to see any obstacles or issue with the passing of this bill with some lawmakers calling it a “sure thing”. If the bill passes the House, then it will be given to the state’s Governor, Jim Justice, to sign.

West Virginia’s online gambling bill comes after the Justice Department revisited and modified an important Opinion Memorandum on domestic gaming.

The DOJ reinterpreted the 2011 Wire Act Formal Opinion and their stance on what gambling forms may be interstate and changing domestic industry requirements to comply to a fully intrastate gaming environment. There was national concern by states regarding the opinion and how it would affect gaming, but WV seems unbothered, or at least, is currently disregarding the opinion altogether.

This confidence and subtle defiance has surely emboldened other states to continue to pursue gambling expansion. As such, states like Kentucky and numerous others are still considering gambling expansion bills with no hint of slowing down. If HB 2934 passes in West Virginia, concerns in other states about the future of domestic gaming could be relieved.

At this moment in time, states with legalized online gambling are still launching and operating as if nothing changed. While it is great news for West Virginians if their bill passes, patrons under 21 will most likely not be able to utilize the state’s domestic online gaming offers. In this case, 18 year olds can play online poker through licensed offshore poker rooms.

Neighboring state, Kentucky, has recently progressed their own online gambling expansion bill which will allow KY domestic sports gambling, online poker, and daily fantasy sports under HB 175. Kentucky may very well allow 18+ players to play online poker as their bill currently allows such young adults to gamble on sports and other gambling forms.

The state’s bill has advanced through the Licensing and Occupations Committee, with some adjustments made to the bill such as licensing fees and oversight boards. As of this moment, the state’s bill will move onto the floor for its first reading before the full chamber.

Republican state Representative Adam Koenig introduced a bill to the Kentucky state Senate on February 5^th, 2019 which would expand the state’s current gambling options from pari-mutuel horse betting and lotteries to include various forms of gambling like online poker gambling, DFS, and sports betting. The bill presented will act as a test to see if the state legislature is even interested in gambling expansion this year due to last year’s bill’s failure. However, filing Rep. Koenig believes this particular bill will succeed due to the massive bipartisan support behind it and the additional provisions added.

Koenig believes now is a perfect time to introduce this bill due to the Supreme Court’s ruling on PASPA which removed it from the US Federal books. Coupled with the fact that the domestic gaming industry in Kentucky has been on the decline with the waning popularity of horse racing despite being the home state of the Kentucky Derby – one of the United States’ biggest events. New gambling options may pump fresh life and blood into Kentucky.

Rep. Koenig had this to say about Kentucky’s potential future with sports gambling, “I’d like to see Kentucky be on the front end of this. It is an opportunity for us to provide something that frankly is done in the shadows all over Kentucky…”

Several famous racetracks in Kentucky like the Churchill Downs are waiting in anticipation for sports gambling as they understand the most about the potential revenue legal and regulated sports gambling can create. The parent company which operates Churchill Downs recently invested in casinos in Pennsylvania and Mississippi, two states with passed sports gambling legislation.

Under Koenig’s bill, racetracks and sports venues could obtain a license to offer sports gambling for an initial price of $1 million with a $50,000 renewal fee every year. All of Kentucky’s sports gambling operations would be managed by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission due to their past and solid experience with wagering. Kentucky would be able to offer in-person, mobile, and online wagering under this bill, as well as, allow 18+ gambling on sports which benefits young adults from around the nation wanting to try new gambling forms.

Under this bill, Geotargeting software would be used to verify the location of users within a state and restrict anyone outside of KY from illegally accessing state-restricted gambling. Betting on professional sports like major league football, basketball, baseball, hockey, etc., NCAA sports, international events, and entertainment would be permitted with exception to sporting events occurring within Kentucky.

Kentucky may move on this bill quickly due to growing concerns over the state’s pension deficit by $33 billion. Koenig’s bill, HB 175, would split gambling revenue earned between funding the regulation program, providing addiction and treatment services, as well as, provide financial relief for the state’s pension fund. The KY House Committee on Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations will hear Koenig’s bill and decide whether it is worthwhile to pursue this option.