After what felt like an eternity to try and get things done, the Kentucky sports betting news people had been hoping for arrived in September, with things finally being legalized. This was a long process and it sure seemed like things were going to be delayed for another year or two. However, things got across the line and the success in recent months has been through the roof. That’s right, Kentucky is posting impressive numbers since legalizing sports betting.
To no one’s surprise, the past few months indeed have gone quite well for the state and they’re seeing a solid chunk of taxable revenue being hauled in too. With Kentucky being such a strong demographic for both football and basketball, the fall and winter months proved to be great. With Kentucky legalizing things in September too, it came right at the start of the NFL season. It was also in time for the NCAAF betting season.
Not only that, but online wagers have also been legalized as well, which we don’t have to tell you has made a monster difference. With mobile bets on the table for people to take advantage of, it’s only going to lead to higher numbers for the rest of the year. To close out the 2023 betting season, stats were quite head-turning for Kentucky, but officials are hopeful that even higher figures can be on the way in 2024, the first full calendar year where sports betting will be permitted.
With Kentucky finally on board in ’23, that means the USA is getting even close to 40 states that have allowed for legal sports betting to arrive. This took a lot of hard work for Kentucky and politicians, but the good news is that we are all seeing strong returns thus far. Only time will tell how great things can get this spring and it will surely be interesting to see just how much potential there’s going to be for the southern state.
#LaFamilia pic.twitter.com/PXgRgq8aZU
— John Calipari (@CoachCalArk) February 19, 2024
Super Bowl betting was massive for Kentucky
To no surprise, Super Bowl betting was massive for Kentucky earlier this month. According to a report, more than 200,000 people in Kentucky took advantage of the new betting laws to put money down on the big game. In this year’s edition, the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers went to battle with the Lombardi Trophy on the line at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This game was a thriller, with overtime being needed to determine a winner. In the end, the Chiefs were able to post a win and Patrick Mahomes took home Super Bowl MVP honors. This was the third Super Bowl title for Mahomes and his third MVP award as well. Luckily for plenty of people in Kentucky, with Kansas City being much closer than San Francisco, it looks like a good chunk of those bets were on the AFC West side.
BACK-TO-BACK SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS!!!
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) February 12, 2024
“I couldn’t be more proud of you guys, and how about it? We get a chance to do it three times in a row,” star tight end Travis Kelce said of the Chiefs win against the 49ers in primetime. “How do you get excited for that, baby? You party in Las Vegas and then you get back to it.”
Now, the Chiefs will be focused on trying to three-peat, as they also captured the glory last season. For everyone in Kentucky, they’re now going to have to wait a little while until the next NFL season gets here, but they’ll surely be ready to draft on the NFL Draft once late April gets here. All in all, NFL betting and Super Bowl betting have proven to be gold for the state and that’s not going to change in the near future.
March Madness betting will be electric in Kentucky
Looking ahead to next month, there’s no question that March Madness betting will be electric in Kentucky once late March and early April get here. The University of Kentucky men’s basketball team is currently ranked No. 17 in the country and they’ve got their eyes on making a ton of noise in the SEC Tournament. The rivalry between UK and Alabama is amazing too, with these two set to face off soon.
After the SEC Tournament, the focus will then shift to the Big Dance. With the NCAA Tournament, Kentucky is going to be ready to make a splash and people all over the state will be ready to bet big on them too. Only time will tell how far Kentucky can go in the tourney, but they certainly have the right pieces in place to go far.
What’s helpful for Kentucky too is that online wagers indeed will be on the table for March Madness. From start to finish during the tournament, you can expect people in the state to not only bet on Kentucky, but other colleges as well. March Madness is one of the biggest betting events of the year and for the first time ever, legal bets on the tourney will be permitted for folks in Kentucky.