Best Kentucky Sports Betting Sites

Whether it’s iconic college basketball programs or horse racing, Kentucky loves its sports and sports betting is growing in the state. This guide provides and in-depth overview of the best sports betting sites in the Bluegrass State.

Sports betting was legalized in Kentucky in March 2023 and mobile betting launched in the state just a few months later in September 2023. While Kentucky has no professional sports teams in the four major sports, there is still a strong sports culture in the state, particularly as the home of prominent NCAA Division I schools like the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville. 

There are now numerous options for online sports betting in Kentucky, including top sportsbook brands like FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, Fanatics, DraftKings and bet365.

Let’s look deeper at Kentucky’s online sportsbooks, including each online sports betting site’s welcome offers, key features, and how to get started with sports betting in Kentucky today. 

FanDuel was one of the first online sportsbooks to launch in Kentucky and is our choice for the best online sports betting site in the Bluegrass State. FanDuel betting app is the best in the industry and has been downloaded more than any other mobile sports betting app.

FanDuel offers excellent daily promos and has one of the widest varieties of betting markets available, including its innovative same game parlays. FanDuel also has partnered with Kentucky’s most iconic horse racing track, Churchill Downs.

BetMGM is the self-proclaimed “King of Sportsbooks” and the BetMGM Sportsbook welcome offers certainly fit the description, frequently offering the best bonus bet value in the industry.

BetMGM Sportsbook is one of the most respected brands in the gambling industry and provides an excellent user experience on its desktop site and app.

You will find a solid variety of betting markets at BetMGM, including numerous live betting options and some live streaming capabilities.

Caesars Sportsbook is another one of the most recognizable brands in the U.S. gambling industry, for its online and retail offerings.

Many consider Caesars Rewards the best rewards program on the market, offering rewards on every bet that can be redeemed both online and at Caesars brick-and-mortar properties.

The Caesars Sportsbook promos also offer solid bonuses for both new and existing users, and the user experience of its app is very good. 

Fanatics Sportsbook is one of the newer players on the sports betting scene but is quickly becoming a strong competitor in the industry. Fanatics is the market leader in officially licensed sports apparel and merchandise, which gives it a unique differentiator for sports betting customers.

A percentage of every bet placed with Fanatics Sportsbook is returned as FanCash credits, which can be used to purchase Fanatics merchandise such as jerseys, shirts, hats, and more, making Fanatics Sportsbook promos even more rewarding.

After starting out as one of the leading brands in daily fantasy sports, DraftKings has become a giant in the sports betting industry. You can never go wrong with a brand like DraftKings, where you will find one of the most vast selections of betting markets in the industry.

The odds offered by DraftKings are frequently among the most competitive, and they are usually one of the first (if not the first) to publish lines for many markets. 

A U.K.-based sports betting company, bet365 Sportsbook is one of the most widely used sports betting sites globally and is quickly establishing itself in the U.S. Because of its strong international presence, bet365 has some of the best betting options in the U.S. for international sporting events such as soccer, tennis, golf, and more. 

You will also find some of the industry’s best promos for existing users at bet365, such as odds boosts and parlay boosts on several games daily in the most popular leagues like the NFL, NBA, and MLB. Another great benefit of bet365 is its early payout promos, which enable you to collect your winnings if the team on which you bet builds a big enough lead at any point (for example, 20 points in the NBA). 

Let’s take a look at the current welcome offers available at the online sports betting sites in Kentucky. 

If you’ve read all the information, then congratulations – you have just completed the first step in getting started with sports betting in Kentucky. You always want to understand your options for online sports betting sites and especially the best welcome offers before signing. 

Now that you have all that information and you can choose your first Kentucky online sportsbook, the steps to sign up are easier than you might think, and they are the same regardless of which sportsbook you choose. Let’s break it down.

It’s really that simple. It’s also important to make sure you understand the terms and conditions of the welcome offer. Bonus bets often expire within one week, and usually, you need to use all of your bonus bets one time before you can withdraw the funds. 

Kentucky does not have any teams in the four major team sports, but Kentucky residents may be fans of teams in nearby states like Ohio, Indiana or Tennessee. 

Some of the nearest professional teams are the Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans of the NFL, the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians of the MLB, the Indiana Pacers and Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA, and the Columbus Blue Jackets and Nashville Predators of the NHL. Of those teams, the Bengals and Reds generally have the most fans in Kentucky, since Cincinnati is so close to the Kentucky border. 

While there are no pro teams in Kentucky, sports fans in the state are very passionate about their college teams, particularly at the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville. Those two schools each have rich traditions and long histories of success in college basketball, especially Kentucky, which is considered one of the “Blue Bloods” of college basketball.

Kentucky does allow betting on college sports like football and basketball, including betting on in-state teams and player props. That means Kentucky sports bettors can bet on their local NCAA Division I teams like the Kentucky Wildcats and the Louisville Cardinals. 

Kentucky is one of the most successful basketball schools in NCAA history. As of April 2024, the Wildcats have the most all-time wins, the best winning percentage, the most NCAA tournament appearances, and the most NCAA tournament wins. They also have the third-most appearances in the Final Four and the second-most national championships. Most of their success came before the year 2000, as they have only won one title since 1998. 

While Kentucky has not been nearly as competitive in football, they do compete in the vaunted Southeastern Conference (SEC), widely considered the strongest conference in college football. That means the Wildcats regularly have games against powerhouse programs like Georgia and Alabama. Their strong strength of schedule gives them a chance to be ranked in the AP Top 25 in years in which they have a strong team.

The Louisville Cardinals are Kentucky’s in-state rivals in basketball and are a storied program in their own right, with three NCAA tournament championships (including the vacated 2013 title) and ten Final Four appearances (two of which have been vacated). Louisville fueled the in-state rivalry with Kentucky for many years by hiring former Kentucky coach Rick Pitino in 2001. Pitino led the Cardinals to 12 March Madness appearances in 15 seasons, including three Final Four appearances and one national championship. But his tenure was also marred by a scandal that caused that one title, another Final Four appearance, and 123 wins to be vacated.

Like Kentucky, the Louisville Cardinals have had more success in basketball than football. They compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), another strong conference for football, but have never won an ACC title. They have had some successful players emerge from their program, most notably Lamar Jackson, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2016 and went on to have a successful pro career. 

Here is a complete list of sportsbooks in Kentucky. Each of these sportsbooks offers sports betting in partnership with one or more of Kentucky’s nine horse racing tracks. Some of them also offer retail sportsbooks through their partnerships with those properties.

The sportsbooks discussed on this page offer a nearly endless variety of sports betting markets for Kentucky bettors. The available markets include the most popular leagues like the NFL, NBA and MLB, as well as some more niche sports like cycling, darts, and rugby. Let’s discuss some of the biggest and most popular betting markets at Kentucky sports betting sites.

In Kentucky, you can bet on football to your heart’s delight. Most Kentucky sportsbooks offer betting odds for NFL games, college football games, and even some CFL games. That means sports bettors in Kentucky can place wagers on any of the college teams in the state, as well as nearby NFL teams like the Cincinnati Bengals or Indianapolis Colts. 

Basketball is easily the most popular sport in Kentucky thanks to prominent NCAA programs like the Kentucky Wildcats and the Louisville Cardinals. Kentucky bettors can expect plenty of basketball betting options for both of those teams as well as NBA games and even some international leagues. 

If you’re looking to bet on baseball in Kentucky, you will find plenty of betting markets for MLB games, including the nearby Cincinnati Reds. There are also baseball betting odds available for college baseball and some international leagues like the KBO. 

Hockey is another sport with plenty of international leagues like the KHL, and you can find betting odds for many of those leagues at Kentucky sportsbooks. Of course, you can also find betting markets for the entire NHL, whether you are a fan of a team in a neighboring state like the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Nashville Predators, or any other NHL team.

It may not be as popular in America as it is in the rest of the world, but there are still plenty of soccer fans in the U.S., and there is no shortage of soccer betting markets in Kentucky. Bluegrass State bettors can find betting options for their local MLS team, Louisville City FC, as well as popular international leagues like the English Premier League and the Champions League. You can also bet on international matches at major tournaments like the World Cup, the UEFA Euro, or Copa America. 

Kentucky is the home of some amazing golf courses such as Valhalla Golf Club, the site of the 2024 PGA Championship. Golf fans in Kentucky can bet on every major golf tournament on the PGA Tour. Some good ways to bet on golf include pre-tournament futures, round-by-round bets, and even live holy-by-hole bets.

Speaking of live betting, tennis is one of the best sports for live betting, with the opportunity to bet on every point, game, set, and match. Kentucky sports bettors will find betting markets for the four major tennis tournaments every year, as well as other smaller tournaments on the ATP and WTA. 

Kentucky is still relatively new to the sports betting market, having only launched retail and online sportsbooks in September 2023. With no professional sports teams in the four major sports, growth potential is somewhat limited compared to other states with larger populations and more in-state teams to attract sportsbooks and sports bettors. However, the betting markets are still strong in the state thanks to its two large NCAA programs and the betting culture surrounding horse racing. Since launching in September 2023, sports betting handle and revenue in Kentucky have exceeded their initial projections.

Here is some recent news concerning sports betting in Kentucky:

The below table summarizes data on the monthly Kentucky sports betting handle and revenue that has been provided by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and reported by various media outlets. 

*Retail sportsbooks launched in Kentucky on September 7, 2023, and online sportsbooks launched on September 28, 2023. 

Betting on sports is supposed to be a form of entertainment, but it can also lead to problems for some people. Some sports bettors struggle to bet responsibly and create negative consequences in their lives because of sports gambling. For anyone who is struggling to bet responsibly on sports, there are resources available to help, so don’t hesitate to reach out. 

The State of Kentucky provides responsible gambling resources through the Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling and kygamblinghelp.org. You can get support by calling the Kentucky Problem Gambling Hotline at 503-223-1823 or the National Council on Problem Gambling at 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537). You can also get support by texting the national hotline at 800GAM. 

Online sports betting can be an exciting way to enhance your experience when watching live sports. If you are a big sports fan and want to see how much you really know about sports, then sports betting is a great way to test your knowledge. It can also give you bragging rights when you get a bet right, not to mention giving you the potential to turn a profit. Just remember, sports betting is meant to be a form of entertainment, not a way to make money, so never wager an amount of money you are not comfortable losing. 

For sports fans in Kentucky, betting on sports can be a great way to get more invested (literally) in professional teams outside of your home state. If you don’t have a strong rooting interest in any professional teams because none of them are local, then sports betting can give you that rooting interest.