Sports Gambling is LIVE in Kentucky: Ways to Wager in Person

Governor Andy Beshear was among the dozens of dignitaries at Churchill Downs Thursday morning to place the first legal sports wagers in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The sports gambling floodgates opened with a three-leg parlay from the Governor: over total football wins for Kentucky and Louisville, and under total wins for Duke.

Kentucky is now the the 34th state in the union (along with the District of Columbia) that allows sports gambling within its borders. The initial floodgates were opened by the Supreme Court in a 2018 decision that allowed the once criminal enterprise to flourish in the United States.

Before Beshear placed the first bet, one speaker said the harsh truth that is relatable to so many Louisville residents. “No longer will Kentuckians have to travel across the bridge, get off the first exit and park at Thornton’s to place a sports wager.”

Darrell Griffith, Will Wolford and Eric Wood were among the “local sports celebrities” that placed initial wagers. The winnings from those wagers will go to the Louisville Sports Commission. Bobby Perry served as the symbolic representative for the University of Kentucky.

Inside the Sports Book at Churchill Downs

For the first three weeks, wagers can only be placed in-person at brick and mortar facilities. There are nine facilities open today across the Commonwealth. The Churchill Downs Race and Sports Book is in the Aristides Lounge on the second floor of the Clubhouse, the old home to simulcast racing. To enter into the facility, park near the entrance to the Matt Winn Steakhouse, then make the short walk to the escalators to the second floor.

How to Wager at Churchill Downs

For the roll out, there may be some hiccups, but Churchill Downs is heavily staffed to help all of the first-time users place their wagers. I actually ran into a hiccup when making my first four bets. More on that later. Here’s how it works:

Cash-Only — The kiosks have the ability to take cards in the future, but they currently are setup to only accept cash.

In-Person Windows — Two attendants were taking wagers from the general public. The lines might be a little longer, but it’s the most user-friendly method.

15 Sports Gambling Kiosks — The large screens are easy to use for anyone who has ever used a mobile app to place a wager. Enter the amount of cash you plan to spend first, then select which games you’d like to make a wager on. The app Churchill Downs uses also allows for you to move the line and pay for points, as I did to put in a UofL -41.5 wager (sorry, but the Racers aren’t going to come close tonight).

Tip: Wait for all of the individual tickets to print before pulling them out of the machine.

Build a Bet In Line — There will surely be long lines early in the process. Around the facility there are posters with QR cards to create the bet you want to make at the kiosk. Once it’s your turn to bet, scan the code on your phone and the wager will appear on the screen for you to finalize the bet and get a ticket.

Tip: Hold the phone at a 45-degree angle away from the scanner for it to be recognized by the machine.

An Early Malfunction — I placed four bets, two on the NFL and one on the Cats and the Cards to cover vs. FCS opponents. Only the two NFL tickets initially printed. Fortunately, a master of the machines from a casino in Ohio was on standby to provide assistance. We walked to the wagering counter, shared my kiosk number and the tickets were promptly printed.

There will certainly be some early hiccups, like the one I encountered while placing my first wagers. The Churchill Downs staff is excited for the first day of sports gambling and was eager to help. In addition to your picks, bring a little patience to the sites on your first days of wagering in the Commonwealth.