LOUISVILLE, Ky. — You can bet Kentuckians are ready for mobile sports betting.

What You Need To Know

  • Kentucky launches mobile sports betting next week

  • In-person wagering tallies $4.5 million in first two weeks

  • Churchill Downs is one of nine public in-person wagering sites

  • $23 million in revenue expected for Kentucky

Kentucky is already cashing in on legalized sports betting. In just two weeks of “in-person” sports betting, Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., reports more than $4.5 million dollars was wagered in the state. Those numbers are expected to balloon when mobile sports betting launches next week.

For only a few more days, this is how Kentuckians place bets on their favorite teams. They do it in person.

Churchill Downs is one of nine public betting places in Kentucky and it’s where Tyler Bonilla was waging Friday. Bonilla is a New York native and just around the time he moved to Wisconsin, his home state launched mobile sports betting.

“Instead of people having to reserve time and drive down to the casino on Sunday morning and get their bets in before the Bills game you can just chill on your couch with your buddies and put in a 10-leg parlay in you know for five bucks,” Bonilla said. “That’s sweet.”

In-person sports betting in Kentucky has nearly topped $5 million in bets in just two weeks, according to a release from Beshear.

When mobile betting kicks off next Thursday, the amount of money wagered will likely skyrocket.

“Absolutely. Instead of consolidating everybody to this one area, you’re making it accessible to everybody,” Bonilla said. “Think about how many people here today in this building versus how many people have smart phones and you just go on the app store and download Draft Kings or Fan Duel.”

Louisville resident Louis Row was also betting at Churchill Downs. Row was wagering on the World Series and Super Bowl.

“I went with the Ravens because of our local Lamar Jackson,” Row said.

As the world of sports betting expands in Kentucky, Row said that’s big money staying within the state.

“I think it’s going to be wonderful that all will go to fund education,” he said.

For Bonilla, if he wants to place a bet, he’ll have to get in the car and drive to Illinois, much like Kentuckians were doing driving to Indiana to wager.

“We’re still very much going through bookies or having to hop the line and put our bets in somewhere else,” Bonilla said.

Beshear estimates sports betting in Kentucky will bring in $23 million a year. 2.5% of revenues will support the Problem Gambling Assistance Fund.

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