Legislation making several changes to Kentucky’s existing sports wagering law and other entities regulated by the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation won easy passage in the House of Representatives.
Rep. Michael Meredith, the sponsor of House Bill 904, explained major changes to his colleagues on the House floor.
“One of the big changes is that we would move age of sports wagering from 18 to 21,” he said. “It would also ban prop betting on in-state collegiate athletes, those who play for Kentucky teams. This would take away any incentive for bribery or harassing a player for not meeting a goal.”
The bill also creates a licensing, regulatory and tax structure around fantasy sports contests. If prediction markets are ever allowed, which are currently in the federal court system, would have a similar tax system to sports wagering.
While there is no control over the amount of losses, some sports books limit the amount people can win and even refuse to accept their bets. That ban on winning would be removed, if the bill becomes law.
Anyone who is in arrears for child support over $1,000 would be prevented from engaging in sports wagering under the legislation. A list will be generated by the attorney general’s office, who would inform the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation, which would, in turn, disseminate that information to all the sports books and betting apps, to prevent those people from placing any more wagers until they have paid off their arrearage.
HB 904 also would create a task force on charitable gaming that would study all the rules and regulations that deal with charitable gaming, and report back for possible changes in the 2027 session.
The bill won approval on a 79-15 vote and now heads to the Senate for their consideration.
The Family Foundation disappointed with House decision
David Walls, executive director of The Family Foundation, was disappointed with the House’s decision to advance the measure.
“The Kentucky Constitution only provides for three forms of gambling: charitable gaming, the Kentucky Lottery and parimutuel horse betting,” he said. “HB 904 represents another unconstitutional expansion of predatory gambling, similar to HB 551 passed in 2023 that ‘legalized’ sports betting and SB 120 in 2021 that ‘legalized’ HHR slot machines, both legally dubious laws that expanded gambling without constitutional authorization. Just because previous legislation has ignored and defied our Kentucky Constitution does not mean that this General Assembly should do so again,” he said.
“If the General Assembly continues to go down the path of more government-sponsored predatory gambling, Kentuckians will continue to pay the price. More gambling will only mean more destructive costs to families and communities across the commonwealth. It’s past time for the General Assembly to just say no to more unconstitutional gambling expansions,” Walls said.
Since the “legalization” of sports betting in 2023, calls to Kentucky’s problem gambling hotline have already more than doubled, Walls said.
“Gambling is as addictive as opioids, heroin and cocaine and it carries the highest suicide rate of any addiction. The Family Foundation has long opposed and fought tirelessly against gambling expansion for a very simple reason: we care about our fellow Kentuckians.”
By Tom Latek, Kentucky Today
