Kentucky legislators fail to pass bill to legalize sports betting
Despite public approval, a bill to regulate sports betting statewide never made it to the Senate floor.
A bill to advance legal sports betting in Kentucky failed to pass on the final day of the state’s 2022 General Assembly. House Bill 606, which would have legalized betting on statewide sports contests passed 58-to-30 in the House but was never presented to the Senate.
The bill received necessary readings for a vote but never passed out of the committee to be heard by the State Senate.
GOP Senate Floor Leader Damon Thayer said: “Everywhere I go people stop me and ask, ‘Why can’t we pass sports betting.’ I can’t make (lawmakers) for it if they don’t want to be for it.”
Thayer went on to add that he wasn’t sure when the state would give the green light for legal sports betting. He said the votes weren’t there this time to get the bill passed but said that could change during the next session with several senators leaving office.
“You can never really predict what is going to take flight in an election cycle. We’ll have to see if sports betting or marijuana becomes an issue. They haven’t had the energy to affect the outcome of elections in the past. You can’t predict the future, though,” he said.
Research conducted by Western Kentucky University reflected that Kentucky residents are in favor of legalized sports betting. According to a recent poll, many Kentuckians – regardless of political affiliation – support legalization.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear is also in favor of legalized sports betting and supported Bill 606.
“The people of Kentucky absolutely want this,” Beshear said.
Senate Democratic Leader Morgan McGarvey agreed with the governor’s statement. “It’s a huge miss this session,” he said. “We’re falling behind our neighboring states and we’re losing out on revenue.”
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