Kentucky bill overhauls betting rules, increases minimum age

A draft law that has successfully cleared the House and Senate in Kentucky is one step away from becoming a law. That’s the case for House Bill 904 (HB 904), which proposes to overhaul the sports betting market in the state.

One of the major changes under HB 904 is the increase in the minimum gambling age for placing wagers on sports. Previously, the minimum age to place a sports bet was set at 18 years of age. However, the bill seeks to increase this minimum to 21, in line with the minimum age for gambling activities in other states. While HB 904 proposes to increase the minimum age for sports betting, the change won’t affect fantasy sports, horse racing or slots. A sports wagering licensee or service provider shall implement commercially and technologically reasonable procedures to prevent access to sports wagering by any person under the age of twenty-one, reads the proposal that was signed by the Speaker of the House and the Speaker of the Senate last week. Importantly, per HB 904, a ban on certain prop bets on college sports is proposed. While some states ban college prop bets entirely, lawmakers in Kentucky have a different view. The draft law that would change the betting regulations seeks to specifically prohibit under prop bets on college athletes. A sports wagering licensee or service provider shall not offer or accept any proposition bets on an individual performance statistic on athletes participating in collegiate sporting events for a collegiate team located in Kentucky if the successful outcome of the wager is contingent upon the athlete failing to meet a specified statistical threshold or experiencing a negative performance outcome, explains the bill.

Besides changing the minimum age and banning under prop bets on college athletes, the proposal, if approved, would bring changes to horse racing. In particular, HB 904 seeks to deliver fixed odds for horse races. If Kentucky approves the proposal and makes such a change, it would be among a handful of states to have introduced fixed odds on horse racing. Another important change would affect potentially vulnerable players. Individuals who have accumulated more than $500 in past-due child support payments won’t be permitted to place sports bets in Kentucky. A special registry will ensure that such individuals cannot access wagering as they will be recognized as disqualified person. After the House and Senate amended the proposal and successfully cleared it, HB 904 was delivered to the desk of Gov. Andy Beshear. This is the final step before the bill is enacted as a law or faces a veto.