Sports Betting Faces Uphill Climb in Kentucky, Mobile Bill Introduced in Mississippi

Any sports betting bill introduced at this year’s legislative session in Kentucky will be “a challenge to pass,” a key state senator told Gambling.com on Tuesday.

Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, said sports betting faces opposition in places with conservative and religious residents.

“There’s a lot of opposition in the rural parts of the state,” he said.

The 2022 session began Tuesday at the Capitol in Frankfort and ends April 15. Efforts to approve sports betting have been unsuccessful at the Legislature in the past.

Ohio, Other Neighboring States Have Legalized Sports Betting

Over time, Kentucky has become “an island,” surrounded by states where sports betting is legal, said Thayer, who supports on-site and mobile sports betting.

The latest, Ohio, legalized sports betting in December, though bettors won’t be allowed to place legal wagers at least for several months. Ohio gaming regulators still must approve the rules to govern the industry. Proponents hope sports betting will be up and running in the Buckeye State by next football season.

Thayer noted that Kentucky is losing tax revenue as bettors cross into neighboring states, such as Tennessee, to wager on sports. Mobile sports betting became legal in Tennessee in November 2020.

‘Grass Roots’ Effort Needed to Approve Sports Betting

In Kentucky, sports betting would be “a natural,” given the state’s long history with horse racing and legal parimutuel wagering, Thayer said. The Kentucky Derby, held annually at Churchill Downs in Louisville, is the first leg of the Triple Crown and is one of the most celebrated races worldwide.

Rep. Adam Koenig, R-Erlanger, has signaled he will push again this year for legalized sports betting, Thayer said.

The senator said it will take a “grass roots” effort, involving popular, brand-name online bookmakers such as FanDuel, to legalize sports wagering in the Kentucky.

It remains to be seen whether a sports betting bill will pass this year, Thayer said.

“Every session takes on a life of its own,” he said.

Mississippi Mulls Mobile Sports Betting, As Louisiana Prepares to Launch

Also on Tuesday, a mobile sports betting bill was introduced in Mississippi. The Legislature convened at the Capitol in Jackson on Tuesday and runs until April 3.

The mobile sports wagering measure, House Bill 184, is sponsored by Rep. Cedric Burnett, D-Jackson. It has been referred to committee, according to a Mississippi bill-tracking website.

Mississippi also is bordered by states with legal mobile sports wagering, including Tennessee and Louisiana.

Mobile sports betting is expected to kick off within weeks in Louisiana, state Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Johns told Gambling.com. On-site sports betting is permitted at casino sportsbooks in Louisiana.

Jay McDaniel, executive director of the Mississippi Gaming Commission, told Gambling.com in a recent Q&A that Mississippi residents who want mobile sports betting should reach out to lawmakers.

“To those in Mississippi who wish to have it, I would say contact your state senator or representative and let them know your thoughts,” he told Gambling.com.

Sports wagering is allowed at sportsbooks inside Mississippi’s 26 state-regulated casinos. Two MGMResorts hotel-casinos, one on the Gulf Coast and another in the northwestern part of the state, allow on-site mobile wagering for guests who use a smartphone or computer to place bets while on the resort’s property.