bet365, a tier-one sports betting operator with headquarters in the United Kingdom, has now added Kentucky to its list of legal markets in the United States. The international sportsbook is now available in Kentucky, Colorado, New Jersey, Ohio, Virginia, and Iowa.
The company's product selection in Kentucky includes Same Game Parlays (accumulators), cash out, edit bet abilities, bet boosters, and early payouts on sports like MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL and NCAAB. The sportsbook will also offer bettors in the Bluegrass State pre and live in-game props, as well as an online streaming service that provides coverage for 780,000 events.
The spokesperson of the company expressed bet365's enthusiasm for officially launching in Kentucky, United States, by saying:
“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.”
After the Supreme Court annulled PASPA in 2018, bet365 and other legal sports betting operators have flourished in the North American betting and gaming market. Bet365 started by entering New Jersey in 2019 before extending its reach to Colorado in September of 2022. This year, the company launched its services in Virginia and Ohio in January, with Iowa being the most recent US jurisdiction for the operator.
Kentucky recently launched its betting industry, fulfilling Governor Andy Beshear's pledge that his administration would allow sports betting. But the license doesn't come cheap. The state provides eligible operators with a one-year provisional license at a fee of $500,000 and a 14.25% tax rate of the GGR. Additionally, 18 is the legal betting age, like in many European countries.
Licensed operators must provide a comprehensive self-exclusion list to players, while sportsbook bonus terms such as 'risk-free' and 'free bets' are prohibited. The Kentucky Sports Wagering Advisory Council has compiled a list of approved sporting events, except for college athletics, awards ceremony markets, and fixed-odds horse racing.
