Kentucky Sports activities Betting Invoice Will get a Committee Listening to on Wednesday
A invoice to legalize sports activities betting in Kentucky will get a listening to within the Basic Meeting on Wednesday morning, and the proposal’s sponsor is optimistic about its possibilities of clearing the state Home of Representatives.
State Rep. Susan Westrom (standing) speaks with Home Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Laws Committee Chair Adam Koenig earlier than the committee’s assembly on Feb. 23. Koenig will current a invoice legalizing sports activities betting within the state earlier than the committee on Wednesday. (Picture: LRC Public Info)
House Bill 606 will go earlier than the Home Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Laws Committee in an 8 am ET assembly in Frankfort. The invoice is the newest proposal by state Rep. Adam Koenig, R-Erlanger.
Two years in the past, Koenig, who chairs the licensing committee, noticed the panel unanimously approve his sports activities betting invoice within the early days of the 60-day session. That led to optimism that it may go the Home. As a substitute, the laws sat for 2 months earlier than going again to the committee earlier than the session ended.
This time round, the sports activities betting invoice will get its first listening to simply two weeks earlier than lawmakers go away for a veto interval that begins on March 31. The Kentucky Basic Meeting returns for 2 last days starting on April 13.
Koenig has up to date his invoice from the 2020 model – he additionally filed a invoice in final yr’s quick session. However that took a again seat to make sure historic horse racing machines had been authorized in Kentucky. The primary change facilities on eradicating the in-person registration requirement for cell betting accounts.
Below the proposal, every of Kentucky’s harness and race tracks may associate with a sports activities betting operator. The invoice taxes retail sports activities betting adjusted gross revenues at 9.75%. It levies a 14.25% tax on revenues from cell bets. After administrative bills are deducted, the rest of the sports activities betting tax revenues would go towards the state’s public pension fund.
The invoice additionally accommodates provisions to manage on-line poker and day by day fantasy sports activities. All three actions would turn into authorized for adults 18 and older.
Majority of the Majority Wanted
The 2020 sports activities betting invoice had greater than 40 sponsors. Nonetheless, one of many challenges it confronted was a scarcity of majority assist from Republican lawmakers, who management the Home.
This yr, the GOP holds 75 seats, that means that not less than 38 Republicans would want to assist the invoice. Koenig admitted that when he unveiled his invoice a pair weeks in the past.
One factor that may assist him is a ballot that Kentucky Sports activities Betting Now sponsored final month displaying legalized sports activities betting enjoys almost two-thirds assist amongst registered voters. The survey additionally confirmed that majorities of varied Republican sub-groups additionally need to see the gaming exercise legalized.
In anticipation for a attainable listening to this week, the group launched a social media marketing campaign urging residents to let the legislature know they assist the measure. The group mentioned 1000’s despatched messages.
Koenig expects the committee to vote on the invoice Wednesday, and believes it’s going to get to the Home flooring.
I like my possibilities of passing it out of the Home,” he instructed On line casino.org Tuesday night time.
It nonetheless would want to go the state senate as properly, and a few key lawmakers in that chamber have expressed assist for the invoice. Nonetheless, it stays unsure what would occur to the sports activities betting invoice there ought to Home lawmakers approve it.
State Sen. David Yates, D-Louisville, has sponsored a sports activities betting invoice in that chamber, and whereas it’s been assigned to a committee, it has not obtained a listening to.
Kentucky Surrounded by Authorized Wagering
Kentucky basically finds itself surrounded by states which have legalized sports activities betting. Six of the seven states round it have authorized sports activities betting because the Supreme Court docket overturned the Skilled and Newbie Sports activities Safety Act (PASPA) almost 4 years in the past. The latest was Ohio late final yr. Solely Missouri has but to go a invoice, and lawmakers there are contemplating it.
Yates and different proponents have mentioned that Kentuckians are going throughout state traces to guess. In some situations, they’re wagering illegally.
“I believe we will’t ignore it, it’s right here,” Yates instructed On line casino.org earlier this month. “It is smart for us to correctly regulate, after which be sure that the cash stays again inside our area people. Kentucky for too lengthy has simply pretended that points aren’t right here.”
Koenig famous in a press convention two weeks in the past that each Republican- and Democratic-led states have handed sports activities betting payments. And to permit it in Kentucky would adhere to sturdy conservative values.
“Individuals like to speak about freedom, properly that is freedom,” he mentioned. “That is authorities getting out of the way in which of permitting adults to make grownup choices. That is authorities standing in the way in which of an enterprise that exists.”
Wednesday’s committee listening to can even embody testimony on three different gaming payments Koenig and state Rep. Killian Timoney, D-Lexington, have proposed. These embody earmarking $225 million for an issue playing fund, addressing grey gaming machines, and making pari-mutuel wagering reforms.
