ESPN BET is One of Seven Kentucky Sports Betting Applicants

• The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) reported seven online sportsbook operators applied for a sports betting license.
• PENN Entertainment and ESPN’s new ESPN BET partnership is among the crowd of applicants.
• Seven of Kentucky’s licensed racetracks applied for retail sports betting licenses.

FRANKFORT, KY – Seven legal sports betting sites applied for licenses to operate in Kentucky. The list of applicants includes big-name sportsbooks like FanDuel, as well as the new ESPN BET.

• Bet 365
• BetMGM
• Caesars
• DraftKings
• FanDuel
• Penn Sports Interactive (ESPN BET)

The launch date for legal Kentucky sports betting is September 7 for retail sports betting and September 28 for online.

PENN Entertainment looks to expand its new ESPN BET product into Kentucky. PENN’s sports betting product, formerly known as Barstool Sportsbook, has already received a license in 16 states.

In addition to mobile sports betting applications, seven state-licensed racetracks looking to offer legal sports betting applied for the September 7 launch.

• Churchill Downs, Louisville
• Cumberland Run, Corbin
• Ellis Park, Henderson
• Oak Grove Gaming and Racing, Oak Grove
• The Red Mile, Lexington
• Sandy’s Gaming and Racing, Ashland
• Turfway Park, Florence

Racetracks with approved licenses can open brick and mortar sportsbooks at their satellite locations.

The KHRC released a sports betting licensing update providing all current retail and online sports betting applicants. The vote for the licenses will be on at a full commission meeting on August 22.

According to Kentucky’s sports betting FAQs, tracks face an initial $500,000 fee with sportsbooks paying a $50,000 initial fee. Also, a renewal fee is set at $50,000 for the tracks and $10,000 for sportsbooks.

Kentucky Horse Racing Commission Chairman Jonathan Rabinowitz said that collaboration with other sports betting officials like Ohio and Colorado gave the KHRC valuable insight for their sports betting launch. Kentucky’s four-month launch after legislation ties Kansas as the fastest to launch legal sports betting since 2018.

“The KHRC is excited to open sports wagering and is working efficiently to meet the necessary deadlines. This is a careful process dedicated to wagering integrity and protecting bettors in the state of Kentucky,” said Rabinowitz.

News tags: ESPN BET | Jonathan Rabinowitz | Kentucky | Kentucky Horse Racing Commission | Penn Entertainment