Bet365 becomes first European operator to go live in Kentucky

Kentucky has become the latest US state to open up to regulated betting, with eight operators set to launch in the state including bet365.

The international operator, based in the UK city of Stoke-on-Trent, has made Kentucky its sixth US market, following launched Colorado, New Jersey, Ohio, Virginia and Iowa.

bet365’s product portfolio in Kentucky will include Same Game Parlays (accumulators), cash out and edit bet features, bet boosts and super boosts, early payouts on MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL and NCAAB markets and pre and live in-game props, as well as its online streaming offering covering 780,000 events.

A company spokesperson remarked: “We are incredibly excited to officially launch in the great state of Kentucky. Now Kentuckians can take advantage of our epic Bet Boosts, the fastest Live In-Game product and best Same Game Parlay experience and see first-hand why the bet365 experience is Never Ordinary.”

In the aftermath of the repeal of PASPA in 2018, bet365 has become one of the most active European firms in the North American betting and gaming market and the gold rush that accompanied its growth.

The company launched in its first market, the gaming stronghold state of New Jersey, in 2019, followed by Colorado in September 2022, Virginia and Ohio in January 2023, and most recently Iowa in June 2023.

In Kentuuky, bet365 will be going up against some high-profile competitors in the form of Caesars, BetMGM – the stateside-facing joint venture of the UK’s Entain and US’ MGM Resorts – Flutter Entertainment‘s FanDuel, Penn Entertainment,  DraftKings, Fanatics and Circa, although the latter is yet to launch.

Kentucky licence holders have been given a one-year temporary licence at a cost of $500,000 and a tax rate of 14.25% of GGR. The state is also unique in that it has set the minimum betting age at 18, similar to many European markets, as opposed to the US standard of 21.

Further licence requirements include offering a voluntary self-exclusion list to players, a ban on terms such as ‘risk free’ and ‘free bets’. A catalogue of sports events has been approved by the Kentucky Sports Wagering Advisory Council, although college athletics and awards ceremony markets and fixed-odds horse racing cannot be offered.

Kentucky Governor, Andy Beshear, said: “Sports wagering has already been a big hit in the Commonwealth with $4.5m already bet, and that means those dollars stay here in Kentucky. 

“Everyone enjoy, do it responsibly and know that this is a win-win for Kentucky as these dollars will help our people.”