Kentucky Considers New Rules for Betting and DFS

(AsiaGameHub) –   Kentucky is evaluating one of the most comprehensive gambling reform bills observed in any state thus far this year. A House-supported measure would alter sports betting regulations, subject DFS products to more transparent oversight, and seek to incorporate prediction markets into the tax and enforcement framework.

Good to Know

• The legislation would increase Kentucky’s sports betting age from 18 to 21.
• Sportsbooks would be prohibited from providing individual college player props linked to in-state schools.
• Under the proposal, prediction markets would be subject to a 14.25% tax, aligning with the rate applied to online sportsbooks.

Kentucky Puts Several Gambling Issues Into One Bill

Instead of concentrating solely on sportsbooks, the Kentucky bill aims to address multiple rapidly evolving segments of the market simultaneously. It would increase the minimum betting age to 21, regulate newer DFS and similar products from firms like Underdog and PrizePicks, permit fixed-odds horse racing, and establish regulations for sports-related prediction markets.

A prohibition on individual player props for games involving in-state colleges is also included in the legislation. This would restrict wagers on player statistics related to institutions like the University of Kentucky or the University of Louisville. NCAA officials have advocated for comparable restrictions in other states, though implementation has varied nationwide.

The bill does not increase the sportsbook tax rate. Kentucky would maintain the 14.25% tax on online sportsbook gross gaming revenue—near the national median—while applying this same rate to prediction markets operating within the state under the proposal.

Another provision could impact some of the market’s largest brands. The bill would prevent sportsbook companies from offering unregulated sports event contracts via prediction market products. Based on recent reports, FanDuel, DraftKings, and Fanatics each have stakes on both sides of this divide, collectively accounting for over 75% of Kentucky’s sports betting revenue.

Legal disputes would persist even if the bill were to pass. Prediction market operators continue to argue that state gambling laws do not govern their products, and this broader issue is already being litigated in over 20 cases nationwide. Most analysts anticipate a final resolution no sooner than 2027 or 2028, likely following appellate court review.

Kentucky is not alone in this effort. State legislators nationwide have been revisiting betting regulations as online sportsbooks mature and related products continue to expand. A critical aspect in Kentucky is the timeline: the House passed the bill with strong bipartisan support, and a Senate committee received it last week, though no timeline for further proceedings has been established.