Sports betting in KY takes big step in legislature ... but it may be on hold

A bill to legalize sports betting in the state of Kentucky crossed an historic threshold on Wednesday morning: for the first time ever, the measure passed a committee in the Senate. But don’t expect final passage any time soon.

House Bill 551, from Rep. Michael Meredith, R-Oakland, would legalize sports betting in the state, imposing a tax that’s estimated to bring in around $23 million in annual revenue to the state.

Though its 9-1 passage in Senate Licensing & Occupations Committee was swift, Meredith and Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, indicated that the bill would not be voted on in the full Senate until the end of the month, when legislators come back from a long ‘veto period’ break.

“It’s a pretty tall mountain we still have to climb,” Thayer said.

Meredith indicated that there are “one to three” Senators, including Republicans and Democrats, he needs to convince to support the measure. He said he’ll be working the bill in the coming weeks.

In committee, Meredith said the impetus for the bill was recognizing that sports betting, a practice that has become more popular with the proliferation of major companies like DraftKings, is already taking place in Kentucky but that it ought to become legal and regulated.

“I’m gonna continue just try to talk to Senators and explain why I think this is good policy for the Commonwealth. You heard a lot about revenue in here today, but revenue is not the reason I think this is good policy. I think it’s good policy because we’re taking something out of the illegal, unregulated space and creating a regulated marketplace for this,” Meredith said. “It’s not about the money.”

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, a longtime advocate for sports betting legalization, is not expected to veto the bill. Several surveys have indicated that the effort has statewide approval among Kentucky voters.

A group of social conservatives presented against the bill in committee, including a couple pastors and representatives from the social conservative group The Family Foundation.

Family Foundation Executive Director David Walls said that the addictive nature of gambling available via smartphones would only increase people’s addiction to their phones.

After providing testimony at committee, Kentucky Baptist Convention Executive Director Todd Gray posted to Twitter that the bill was “parasitic and predatory.”

“Profile of a Sports Better: a 39 year old male, college educated, making more than 40k per year. The exact kind of man who should be supporting his family and not wasting money on sports betting.”