The Kentucky General Assembly has passed a bill that would raise the age limit on sports betting in the state but, at the same time, would expand Kentucky’s gambling industry.
House Bill 904, sponsored by Rep. Michael Meredith, R-Oakland and Rep. Matthew Koch, R-Paris, raises the age limit for sports betting from 18 to 21. However, the bill also legalizes fantasy contests and sets the age limit at age 18. Eighteen-year-olds can also continue to bet on horse races.
In addition, the bill bans some so-called “prop bets,” specifically those that depend on a Kentucky college athlete performing poorly – such as throwing an interception or missing a free throw.
HB 904 would also allow racetracks to offer fixed-odds wagering.
Kentucky’s constitution allows for parimutuel wagering, in which bettors, essentially, compete against each other. But the Family Foundation of Kentucky considers fixed-odds wagering unconstitutional.
“Fixed odds wagering allows bettors to lock in a price on a horse the moment they place a bet,” the foundation said in a recent statement. “Unlike parimutuel wagering, the odds don’t change based on the total pool of bets. You’re now betting against ‘the House.’”
The organization, Stop Predatory Gambling, says fixed-odds wagering increases the risk of manipulation and insider advantage, and encourages faster, more addictive betting patterns.
Meredith called the bill, “a comprehensive piece of legislation dealing with nearly every area that is regulated by the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Commission to make sure that waging in Kentucky is safe and protected.”
While the Kentucky Baptist Convention advocated for raising the age limit on sports betting, it has long opposed all forms of gambling in the commonwealth, most recently passing a resolution in 2023 which read, in part:
“… we urge our leaders at all levels of government to end state-sponsored gambling, curtail all forms of destructive gambling, and address its harmful effects through policy and legislation…”
The bill now heads to Gov. Andy Beshear’s desk.
By Lawrence Smith, Editor, Kentucky Today
