Gov Beshear Creates Kentucky Sports Betting Advisory Council

• Andy Beshear created the Kentucky Sports Betting Advisory Council.
• The council will assist the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission to launch legal sports betting in Kentucky.
• Beshear created the council through an executive order, three days after he signed emergency sports betting regulations.
• The order went into effect on Thursday.

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Governor Andy Beshear signed an executive order that creates the Kentucky Sports Betting Advisory Council. The move comes days after Beshear signed emergency administrative regulations to govern sports wagering.

Details of the executive order on Thursday assign the Kentucky Sports Betting Advisory Council with duties of providing advice and insight to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, Office of the Governor, and the Public Protection Cabinet. Governor Andy Beshear wishes to launch legal Kentucky sports betting at retail locations on September 7.

This date comes three weeks earlier than legal online sportsbooks, which have an expected launch date of September 28.

The newly-founded Kentucky Sports Betting Advisory Council will consist of the Secretary of the Public Protection Cabinet, three members of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, an employee of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, and two at-large members appointed by Governor Andy Beshear.

At the end of his executive order, Beshear outlined specific duties of the Council.

• Drafting administrative regulations
• Proposing budgets
• Recommending agreements with other jurisdictions
• Perform all other tasks delegated by Kentucky Horse Racing Commission

Interesting enough, the legal sports betting regulations were already posted as part of Andy Beshear’s emergency regulations from July 10. The executive order went into effect on July 13.

Outside of a focus on the new sports betting council, the executive order also noted that Kentucky will receive an estimated $23 million per year in revenue from sports betting. With some portion dedicated towards problem gaming assistance, the Kentucky permanent pension fund will see most of the distribution.

News tags: Andy Beshear | Kentucky | Kentucky Horse Racing Commission | Kentucky Sports Betting Advisory Council