Slot casino in kentucky
New casino sites to play real money
Outside the city, all around the state of KY, travellers can admire some beautiful and uncommon sceneries. They provide panoramas, trails and pleasant atmospheres. Don’t miss the pine mountain, the cumberland falls or the natural bridge state park of slade. 5629 nashville rd 42134 franklin
CASINOS in KENTUCKY (KY) - 2020 up-to-date list - casinosavenue
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Cumberland run
The casino is located at the outskirts of the town of corbyn, kentucky. Cumberland run is set to open during the month of november 2018.
Corbin bypass KY 40701 corbin
Derby city gaming
Derby city gaming offers 900 cult racing game machines with 100 different themes and titles like rumble rumble, davey jone's locker, pac-man and candy mountain. Players w …
4520 poplar level road KY 40213 louisville
Franklin kentucky downs gaming & racing
Kentucky downs is a gaming & racing center located in franklin, in the state of kentucky. Kentucky downs is an entertainment venue offering 700 gaming terminals based on …
5629 nashville rd 42134 franklin
Henderson ellis park casino
Ellis park is a play center and a horse race track located in henderson, kentucky. The casino features 170 slot machines, to players club card will allow you to participa …
3300 U.S. 41 42420 henderson
The state of kentucky (KY) is located in the eastern part of the united-states. The “bluegrass state” has a population of nearly 4,5 million. Its official capital is frankfort but its main city is the louisville.
The franklin kentucky downs casino is the only casino that we can find within the state’s territory even though they are other forms of gambling such as horse tracks. This casino features not less than 500 slot machines, simulcasting and “horses racing jackpot”. Bingo lovers can appreciate a bingo session everyday of the week except on tuesdays. A restaurant is also suggested in case of the payers would need a tasty break.
The city of louisville should be a great start for your journey in kentucky. Known world wide for its kentucky derby, the city welcomes lots a visitors throughout the year. People should discover the churchill downs, the racing facility that hosts the annual kentucky derby. Then, the kentucky derby museum is a two-floors building that will let you learn about the history of this race. The museum features interactive exhibitions and walking tour. If you are a fan of sport or great athletes, you should not miss the muhammad ali center dedicated to the legendary and activist boxer. His hometown pays tribute to him thanks to historical footages, photo galleries and exhibits. The visitors seeking adventure and thrills will definitely love the louisville mega cavern. This 100-acre natural wonder provides the world’s only underground zip line course. Within this limestone carry, visitors can also enjoy a bike park, aerial ropes course and a tram tour. Among the other things to do, we can mention the cave hill cemetery, the zoo or the conrad-caldwell house museum.
Outside the city, all around the state of KY, travellers can admire some beautiful and uncommon sceneries. They provide panoramas, trails and pleasant atmospheres. Don’t miss the pine mountain, the cumberland falls or the natural bridge state park of slade.
Even though kentucky isn’t located on the shores of the ocean, it features many opportunities to enjoy water thanks to sport water or even swimming. The kentucky lake of gilbersville, the cave run lake of morehead or the elkhorn creek in frankfort should not be missed.
Casinos in kentucky & gambling sites online
Kentucky casinos, playing online slots for real money or any gambling game from kentucky is simple to do when you use a reputable, trustworthy and licensed online gambling casino site that accepts major credit cards and pre-paid visa and mastercard’s from residents of the blue grass state. We have made a list below of the best casinos in kentucky and gambling sites online where you can play online slots for real money and other gambling games.
Best casinos in kentucky & gambling sites online
All of the louisville online gambling sites that we listed above accept major credit cards and pre-paid visa and mastercard’s from virtual casino players. If you are interested in spinning the reels playing online slot machines for real money using bitcoins (BTC), take a look at the USA bitcoin casinos section.
Latest kentucky casino news
Churchill downs teams up with golden nugget for new jersey sports betting venture
Have you heard that churchill downs has teamed up with golden nugget for new jersey sports betting venture? Some of the biggest players in the world of real money gambling.
Do you live outside of kentucky? Are looking for a great USA friendly online casino gambling site? Do you want to enjoy gambling games? Take a look at the find a local casino online by state section. Louisville, which lies in the southeastern part of the U.S., with the appalachian mountains bordering the state at the east and ohio river to the north, is an excellent international tourist locale for all people.
Churchill downs
The churchill downs happens each year on the first saturday in may. Churchill downs is a beautiful place. Find then on central avenue in south louisville. Every year the derby is there. It is one of the most famous horse races in the world. The churchill downs holds almost 500,000 people. They hold races there every day. They also have a nightclub. Place wagers on horses at the church hill downs.
Churchill downs opened in 1875. It consists of one 115 acres. It is a beautiful place and very well kept. There is also a festival on the grounds of derby museum. This festival draws as many people as possible. It is one of the biggest festivities throughout the state. Many things take place in KY. It is important to know that the gaming industry is also very vibrant. Kentucky casinos serve locals and visitors.
The state expands to 7 casinos
Currently, seven casinos are spread strategically established in the main cities across KY.
It is important to know that the few casino investors who have put their money in the gaming sector in kentucky by building and renovating the few numbers of facilities in the state have given them a chance to give the resorts a complete finishing, which makes the resorts good-looking.
The seven gaming resorts in louisville have a total of 1, 720 slot machines. This is not a lot compared to other states but it certainly is an ample amount to have fun. Interestingly, these facilities also act as pari-mutuel resorts. These gaming resorts are established in six major cities with 2 of the seven casinos resorts located in lexington city.
Kentucky casino facts
Of all the seven casinos in louisville, you will find that red mile louisville historical and harness racing to be number one regarding size. Whether it is about the parking space, building, gaming floor or some gaming machines that you will find on the inside, the casino is so far the biggest.
The casino boasts 902 gaming machines but does not have any table games at all. Nonetheless, the close to one thousand slot machines offers gamers who check in to the resort an ample place to bet. Some of the obscure facts about kentucky casinos are as follows:
1.The total number of gaming facilities across the entire state: 7.
2. The number of restaurants, from where visitors will enjoy their favorite meals and local cuisines: 6.
3.The number of horse tracks you will find in louisville: 6.
5.The number of cities where these seven betting parlors are located: 6.
6.Number of slot machine games that are found inside these seven gaming facilities: 1, 720.
7. The lowest betting amount one is supposed to use in placing a bet in kentucky: $0.01.
Play real money slots online at kentucky casino gambling sites
If you live in KY and want to play online slot machines for real money or any mobile casino games for cold hard cash you may want to take a look at uptown aces betting parlor. When people from kentucky and all over the united states of america use our links to sign up for uptown aces gambling site that accepts KY players.
They can get up to $10,000 in a welcome sign up bonuses. The $10,000 in a welcome sign up bonuses is spread out over the first several deposits that you make. They have one of the best USA slots sign up bonuses and have fast and easy payouts.Check out the history of gambling in the united states in the video below.
In addition to having great USA slots sign up bonuses, simple, safe and discrete deposit options and easy and fast payouts, uptown aces virtual betting parlor has the latest real money no download and mobile slot machines powered by real time gaming (RTG) software.
About mobile gambling on the internet in kentucky
If you are looking for the KY mobile gambling laws, it is best to consult an attorney to get legal advice, as we do not offer legal advice. Many people that live in kentucky and all across the united states of america come to our website to find out the KY internet gambling laws and to see if it “is it legal to gamble online in the USA.” we do not offer this information, and we do not provide any legal advice.
When most people think about gambling in KY, they think of the kentucky derby however the state of KY does not have any local land real money gambling establishments.
Kentucky does have a state lottery and some real money bingo halls but there are not land gambling casinos. We have read on other internet casino review websites that the state of KY does not have any specific laws regarding online gambling in their state by this may be speculation.
We have spoken to some of the KY gambling sites . They have told us that people that live in kentucky that play online slots for real money and other gambling games.
We recommend the people should speak to an attorney to get the best KY internet gambling laws legal advice possible before someone decides to play real money mobile slots online or does any wagering on the internet.
Find A local kentucky casino online
Are you looking to find local kentucky casinos online? You are going to have a problem. There are no land casinos where residents can play slots for actual loot. If you live in KY and are of legal age to gamble, then you may have to go out of the state to find local kentucky casinos. You can head over to west virginia .
The closest local resort is the belterra casino in florence indiana. Find the belterra casino on 777 belterra dr. Contact them at (812) 427-7777.
THE UIGEA passed in 2006. Many felt the law was vague. Folks bluegrass state still gambled on the internet. People had a hard time finding reputable gambling sites that accepted them. Microgaming pulled out of the US market.
The play slot 4 real money review and rating website started to review and rank gambling sites that accept residents of the united states of america, including people that liked to play the best progressive classic and video slots for real money in the blue grass state. Top
Kentucky slot machine casino gambling in 2020
Introduction to kentucky slot machine casino gambling in 2020
Kentucky slot machine casino gambling does not include games of chance, which are strictly illegal. Instead, kentucky has competition-based electronic gaming machines at four out of its five pari-mutuel wagering racetracks.
Theoretical payout limits are not available but monthly return statistics are available for electronic gaming machines.
This post continues my weekly state-by-state slot machine casino gambling series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. State, territory, or federal district.
Keep reading … or listen instead!
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Relevant legal statutes on gambling in kentucky*
The minimum legal gambling age in kentucky depends upon the gambling activity:
- Land-based casinos: not available
- Poker rooms: not available
- Bingo: 18
- Lottery: 18
- Pari-mutuel wagering: 18
Kentucky’s interpretation of legal gambling requires the competitor’s level of skill “must sufficiently govern the results.”
Therefore, competition-based games are legal as well as pari-mutuel wagering. Traditional slots are illegal, including those referred to as class III, vegas-style, and games-of-chance slot machines.
Kentucky has 1,720 competition-based electronic games available in a few of their pari-mutuel facilities. These skill-based games are anonymously-based historical race results.
Historically, kentucky has had a fascinating relationship with gambling. While casino gambling was never legal, gambling dens were prevalent before the great depression of 1929. To this day, the open display of illegal gambling from that time in american history continues to negatively affect the perception of gaming in kentucky.
If you’re ever in newport, directly across the ohio river from cincinnati, consider walking the newport gangster tour.
*the purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.
Slot machine private ownership in kentucky
In kentucky, it is legal to own a slot machine privately.
Gaming control board in kentucky
The kentucky horse racing commission (KHRC) regulates skill-based games at pari-mutual racetracks in the commonwealth of kentucky.
These devices are historic horse racing (HHR) electronic gaming machines. The KHRC reports kentucky offers 2,981 HHR machines.
Casinos in kentucky
There are five pari-mutuel racetracks in the commonwealth of kentucky. Of these, only four sites offer skill-based HHR electronic gaming machines.
The largest casino in kentucky is derby city gaming with 1,000 HHR gaming machines.
The second-largest casino is red mile gaming & racing, an HHR parlor in partnership with keeneland race course, with 938 gaming machines.
Commercial casinos in kentucky
The four out of five of kentucky’s pari-mutuel racetracks with skill-based HHR electronic gaming machines are:
- Derby city gaming in louisville located 74 miles west of lexington on the indiana border.
- Ellis park racing and gaming in henderson located 105 miles northwest of bowling green.
- Kentucky downs gaming in franklin located 29 miles south of bowling green.
- Red mile gaming & racing in lexington.
Tribal casinos in kentucky
The commonwealth of kentucky has no federally-recognized american indian tribes and, therefore, no tribal casinos.
Other gambling establishments
As an alternative to enjoying kentucky slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering kentucky is:
Each link above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. State to kentucky.
Our kentucky slots facebook group
Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in kentucky? If so, join our new kentucky slots community on facebook. All you’ll need is a facebook profile to join this closed facebook group freely.
There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in kentucky. Join us!
Payout returns in kentucky
The commonwealth of kentucky does not offer any theoretical payout limits for their competition-based HHR gaming machines.
The kentucky horse racing commission offers statistics for HHR gaming under quick links entitled wagering on historical horse races. Its december 2019 report indirectly offers actual return statistics including comparisons to past actuals.
To calculate a player’s win percentage from the report, divide less: return to public by total handle. For december 2019, the monthly player’s win% for HHR machines were:
- State-wide: 91.5%
- Derby city: 90.9%
- Ellis park: 93.9%
- Keeneland/red mile: 91.3%
- Kentucky downs: 92.0%
From this december 2019 report, ellis park had the highest player win% at nearly 94% while derby city had the lowest at nearly 91%.
Summary of kentucky slot machine casino gambling in 2020
Kentucky slot machine casino gambling exists as competition-based, games-of-skill historical horse racing (HHR) electronic gaming machines instead of games-of-chance slot machines.
No minimum or maximum theoretical payout limits have been set. Monthly return statistics are publicly available for each pari-mutuel racetrack with HHR games.
Annual progress in kentucky slot machine casino gambling
In the last year, kentucky increased its HHR machines by 9% to 2,981 devices. However, the average daily handle for hhrs increased by 46%. For 2020 so far, it’s an amazing 59% increase compared to 2019.
Kentucky guide to legal gambling
Kentucky presents an interesting case when it comes to online gambling offerings. No other state has such a prohibitive atmosphere and an unmistakable place in the national gambling landscape. Kentucky’s gambling laws are as restrictive as those found in other largely conservative states. No casinos exist inside state lines, and numerous bills to allow their introduction have failed.
At the same time, the bluegrass state is also home to the most prestigious horse race in the world, the kentucky derby. Pari-mutuel wagering is almost a birthright and can be found at several large tracks throughout the state.
That’s the extent of gambling in kentucky right now, but lawmakers in the state have been persistent in efforting the legalization of sports betting.
The latest includes gov. Andy beshear, during his state of the commonwealth in january, announcing his “commitment to the future” by creating new revenue streams in kentucky. This involves a sports betting bill filed by rep. Adam koenig that would also legalize online poker and daily fantasy sports.
This is also the place where bourbon whiskey is produced, yet distilleries are often located in dry counties. Many residents cannot even buy the state’s most famous products. Perhaps kentucky is content to be a place of contradictions.
Sports betting in kentucky
The bluegrass state in 2019 made multiple efforts to legalize sports betting. Of four proposed bills, only koenig’s advanced through a committee. But that was as far as it got.
This latest bill, house bill 137, will remove the ban on in-state college wagering while adding an 18-month limit on the in-person requirement for online registration.
That prohibition on betting on kentucky teams apparently drew the most complaints from legislators and the public alike.
In addition to legalizing online poker and DFS, kentucky could potentially expand gaming even more by giving the green light for online casinos.
While that remains to be seen, koenig’s proposal would authorize land-based and online sportsbooks to operate via horse racing tracks and motorsports speedways throughout the state.
The bill has sailed through a state house committee by a vote of 18-0 and is expected to clear the full chamber in due time.
Online gambling
There is no specific statute in kentucky that governs online gambling’s legality. However, given the restrictive nature of the state’s laws with regard to gambling in general (basically everything is unlawful except horse racing), it’s a dodgy proposition to engage in online gambling in kentucky.
There is one gigantic exception. Many states allow gambling under the auspices if said gambling is a function of the state lottery. Hence, many states that outlaw slot machines permit video lottery terminals, which are functionally the same to players. Kentucky has a similar situation, but unsurprisingly, it must funnel its gambling through the horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering carveout in its laws.
So kentucky does have online gambling of a sort. Churchill downs operates twin spires, a website that allows residents to wager on horse races at the track from the comfort of their home. Twin spires is even accessible via mobile devices.
Kentucky residents can also play the state lottery online. The state’s lottery website simply advertises the ability to “play now” on multi-state drawings offered through the site. In a state without any casinos (even tribal ones), it is startling to find two unabashed gambling sites doing business — one run by the state, no less.
Online gambling operators
| website | site address | owner | type of games offered |
| twin spires | www.Twinspires.Com | churchill downs | pari-mutuel wagering, including simulcast |
| kentucky lottery | play.Kylottery.Com | state of kentucky | multi-state prize lotteries, including mega millions and powerball |
Social casino options
With no in-state casino options, there are also no options for tie-ins to local casinos through social gaming. The social casino routes are the usual group of offerings. These include: slotomania, double down, big fish, and zynga.
Residents of northern kentucky may also be interested in some of the properties that surround the state, in illinois, indiana, and west virginia. Hollywood casino in lawrenceburg, indiana, offers a play4fun network (as do all hollywood properties) where players can sample games for free.
State casino operator history
As mentioned earlier, there are no casinos of any kind in kentucky. State law is very explicit in its prohibition. It uses what is known as the “dominant factor” theory in its determination of the law. The theory ascribes the mantle of gambling to any game where random chance predominates the outcome over skill. This standard has a carveout for horse racing (which could withstand some argument for skill being the dominant factor – handicapping has plenty of validity) and, somewhat farcically, lottery, which is perhaps the least skillful game in existence.
Horse racing
Nevertheless, kentucky’s history with gambling as it pertains to horse racing is rich and vibrant. The first horse races in the territory ran in the 1780s in lexington and louisville, despite the lack of formal tracks at that time. The horses ran through city parks and, in louisville’s case, right down main street.
The first official track opened in 1805. It wasn’t until 1873, when meriwether lewis clark (grandson of william clark, the famous explorer) developed a series of races that culminated in the grand finale – a derby, which mimicked similar events in europe.
Clark’s maternal side of the family, the churchills, were a prominent louisville family that owned several acres of land in the area. Clark designed a mile-and-a-quarter-long track on one piece of their land in the southern part of louisville’s downtown. The track became known as churchill downs.
Each year, tens of thousands of people flock to churchill downs to view the kentucky derby. It is considered the most prestigious horserace in the US, and perhaps the world. The derby has run each may since 1875 and is the first leg of the triple crown. The derby itself is an event steeped in traditions of old. The men wear suits and ties, and women often wear ornate dresses and humongous hats.
Churchill downs is one of six racetracks in the state. All the racetracks offer what is known as instant racing. These are machines that allow wagering on historical races and resemble a slot machine. Though none of the other tracks match the renown of churchill downs, many are quite well-respected venues in the horse racing community. This is especially true of keeneland, which has been rated the best thoroughbred track in the US. It’s also on the national register of historic places.
Out-of-state casinos
There are also many casinos situated along the borders of kentucky, particularly on the northern border along the ohio river. Of significance is horseshoe southern indiana. This casino is, for all intents and purposes, a louisville casino (separated only by the river itself). Elsewhere, residents of kentucky also have easy access to belterra casino resort (a mere 80 miles from lexington), wheeling island hotel-casino-racetrack in west virginia, rivers casino in pennsylvania, and even rocky gap casino in maryland.
All in all, kentucky residents have some options available, even without the benefit of homegrown casinos. At this time, no legislation appears forthcoming. A bill introduced in 2016 found no support in the state legislature. But, given the decadence of kentucky’s horse racing and the proximity to other states, kentuckians should have no problems finding a good time.
Kentucky casinos and gambling
Short summary: kentucky is one of the most restrictive states for land-based gambling of the fifty as this state is home to zero casinos proper. In addition to a booming lottery industry, kentucky is home to six significant horse racetracks, including the churchill downs, and offers live and simulcast wagering. A few of these tracks also offer historical horse racing terminals, which resemble slot machines, but are not.
Most kentucky residents who want to play casino games travel to indiana, west virginia, or ohio where they can play legally. Indiana has many riverboat based casinos along the ohio river, west virginia has a dog track and casino fairly close to kentucky and cincinnati, ohio has a large casino just across the river from kentucky.
Perhaps the world’s most famous horse racing event, the kentucky derby, is held annually at churchill downs, located in louisville, kentucky. This event is the biggest of its kind and has run every year since 1875. Additionally, it gets more racing handle (total bets) than any other race throughout the year, both live and simulcast. Finally, it is the first of the three events (the others being the belmont stakes and the preakness) to comprise the triple crown, so in order to be a triple crown contender, the horse must first win this event.
Naturally, being one of the biggest states in the country (if not arguably the biggest) for live horse racing/betting, the state of kentucky also allows for pari-mutuel simulcast wagering. Kentucky, however, does not have any active greyhound tracks.
While there are no casinos or slot machines of the traditional sense in kentucky, at least not legal ones, the state’s racetracks can be home (if they choose) to historical racing machines. Essentially, the player makes bets on historical races on these electronic gambling devices and the function is really (as with other horse tracks with real slot machines or VLT’s) to drum up additional revenue for the tracks.
Additional forms of gambling are legal in the state, including:
The state of kentucky is pretty generous insofar as it does not take a cut of charitable gambling revenues, rather, it just has licensing fees and collects fines for any violations of the code. They may make some money in that regard, however, as kentucky seems to have some of the most stringent and specific charitable gambling codes in the country.
The lottery is quite popular in kentucky. As you can see, for fiscal year 2018, the lottery cracked one billion in sales pretty safely. This performance was led mainly by impressive revenues in scratch-off sales, but all other lottery segments reported positive growth. Kentucky does participate in the two largest national lotteries: powerball and mega millions.
Based on a population estimate of 4.468 million residents, the average (mean) lottery sales per resident, per annum, was $233.33 for fiscal year 2018. Remember, while kentucky does have lottery keno (drawings shown on TV in the locations of keno vendors) there are no video lottery terminals (ie: slots) to prop up these numbers. Given that keno came in with less than 100 million dollars in revenue for the year, these numbers are largely driven by pure lottery performance.
The legality of online gambling in kentucky
Due to the fact that there is no specifically legalized online gambling sites in the state, kentucky is one of the states to whom most internet casinos will offer their services. Almost invariably, these sites will be housed outside of the united states and out of the reach of kentucky law enforcement. The state really can’t do anything in an area in which it has no jurisdiction.
However, there are many online casinos who will NOT conduct business in kentucky. This is largely due to a lawsuit in the state in which the state essentially awarded itself (though it claimed it was on behalf of the consumers) hundreds of millions of dollars for players allegedly defrauded by pokerstars. This decision was later overturned (december 2018).
On appeal, with the appeals court maintaining that the state is NOT an individual and may not sue in the capacity of an individual. More than that, the state of kentucky failed to identify any actual individuals who lost money on pokerstars.
Interestingly, unless the statute of limitations has tolled, it means that a class action lawsuit against pokerstars could/could have theoretically prevailed, but that is because there were several (alleged) individuals who were aggrieved by pokerstars’ practices, the state itself was clearly unharmed.
In any case, many sites do not operate within the confines of the state of kentucky for precisely this reason. There are several other sites who operate in a licensed and regulated way elsewhere in the united states (such as caesar’s in new jersey, for one example) who would obviously choose not to operate in an unregulated manner in other states.
The closest that kentucky comes to legalized and regulated online gambling is the fact that they do conduct ilottery internet sales, but those sales comprise just under 1% of total lottery sales in fiscal year 2018 as they came in at barely over ten million dollars.
Kentucky casinos & racetracks
Kentucky is considered the home of horse racing in the U.S. The kentucky derby, one of the best-known horse races in the world, is hosted at churchill downs in the state. Kentucky was home to the first known horse race in the country in 1783. The state has always accepted that its residents and tourists visit bluegrass country to take in the races and wager a few dollars.
While gambling on horses has always been embraced, it has not been quick to expand into kentucky casinos. There is a state lottery in kentucky. Instant racing, which are slot machines that display winning symbols based on past races, started appearing at racetracks earlier this decade. Kentucky racetracks may also offer off-track betting. Charities can offer games of chance with limited prizes and a number of events.
Paying gambling taxes in kentucky
Find out how you can report your gambling income to the IRS with our in-depth gambling taxes guide. Learn which forms you have to fill out, how to report your winnings, as well as deduct losses.
Kentucky casinos map & guide of racetracks
- Ellis park – henderson
- Red mile – lexington
- Number of B&M casinos: 0
- Number of poker rooms: 0
- Number of indian casinos: 0
Best online casinos for players in kentucky
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Types of kentucky online gambling
The only form of legal kentucky online gambling is off-track betting on horses. These wagers may be placed on websites and apps belonging to companies like TVG, twinspires, and betamerica. Twinspires is based in kentucky. It is owned by churchill downs.
Daily fantasy sites claim legality under kentucky’s skill gaming laws. While the state attorney general and its legislature have not addressed daily fantasy sports, some sour gamblers have filed lawsuits against the companies in an attempt to recover losses through qui tam laws. These cases are still in the court system.
Online poker, casino, and sports betting sites are not legal in kentucky. The state has filed its own qui tam lawsuits to recover losses for the state’s residents. One judgment against pokerstars compelled the site to pay kentucky $870 million. That case is under appeal. The state also filed a lawsuit in an attempt to seize 141 domain names from gambling sites.
Types of live kentucky gambling
- Slots: no
- Blackjack: no
- Poker: no
- Craps/roulette: no
- Horses: yes
- Lottery: yes
There are three types of live kentucky gambling available to residents. A state lottery sells scratch-off and lotto tickets. This includes interstate drawings. Popular games include lucky for life, pick 3, pick 4, 5 card cash, powerball, and mega millions.
There are six kentucky racetracks. All offer horse tracks. Greyhound racing is not legal in kentucky. All six tracks offer off-track betting on horses.
Kentucky downs, ellis park, and red mile offer a controversial form of gambling that is working its way through the court system. These two tracks offer instant racing machines. These devices are programmed with thousands of past horse races. Players put cash into the machine and make a wager. The machine pulls one of these historical races and displays the reels on the device to match a payout similar to what the event would have paid. These are described as historical racing machines. Some consider them to be slot machines because that is exactly how they look and feel. The only difference is how the position of the reels is determined.
There are currently no kentucky casinos operating at the moment. There is legislation that racetracks are trying to pass so that they can legally offer more popular electronic casino games, like electronic blackjack and roulette. We may see the racetracks and kentucky casinos legislation combine and form “racinos” that are already popular in other states.
Kentucky gambling laws
“staking or risking something of value on the outcome of a contest, game, gaming scheme, or gaming device which is based upon an element of chance, in accord with an agreement or understanding that someone will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome.”
It only exempts the state lottery, horse racing and arguably, instant racing machines. Charities may operate bingo games and raffles.
Promoting gambling is a class A misdemeanor or class D felony, depending on the charges. The minimum gambling age in kentucky is 18 years for lottery, racing, and instant racing bettors.
Where to gamble in kentucky
There are more than 1,000 lottery retailers in kentucky. There are also dozens of charitable organizations that offer bingo and similar games to raise funds for nonprofit operations.
Outside of these options, there are only six kentucky racetracks to gamble at. You might consider these racetracks to be kentucky casinos, as they already have permission to offer racing machines, which are very similar to slot machines. This may be the start of new kentucky gambling legislation.
You can look for the specific racetrack you want to wager at on our kentucky casinos map and guide located above.
| Racetrack | size | address | website |
|---|---|---|---|
| churchill downs – louisville | no instant racing® | 700 central ave. | Www.Churchilldowns.Com |
| ellis park race course – henderson | 170 instant racing® machines | 3300 US-41 | www.Ellisparkracing.Com |
| keeneland – lexington | no instant racing® | 4201 versailles rd. | Www.Keeneland.Com |
| kentucky downs – franklin | 500 instant racing® machines | 5629 nashville rd. | Www.Kentuckydowns.Com |
| the red mile – lexington | 900 instant racing® machines | 1200 red mile rd. | Www.Redmileky.Com |
| turfway park – florence | no instant racing® | 7500 turfway rd. | Www.Turfway.Com |
History of kentucky gambling
Kentucky did not regulate horse racing like it does today in its early years. It was simply impossible to control pari-mutuel pools and organize the tracks and horses centuries ago. It took until the early 1900’s for the kentucky horse racing commission to be created. Tracks have come and gone over the years. There are five in operation today. This makes kentucky one of the most thriving states when it comes to horseracing.
The first legal lottery in kentucky was held in 1792. It occurred in an attempt to fundraise for a church in lexington. The kentucky lottery that exists today was created through a november 1988 constitutional referendum. The first ticket was sold in april 1989. The kentucky lottery sells scratch-off and lotto tickets.
The kentucky horse racing commission modified its regulations to permit instant racing machines in 2010. These games mimic slot machines. The devices display slot symbols in a pattern to show the payout of a horse race based in the past. The exact race is never known. The kentucky supreme court ruled that the racing commission had the authority to legalize these games. Anti-gambling groups are still fighting instant racing in the courts. Kentucky downs, ellis park, and red mile offer instant racing, and can be considered to be the only kentucky casinos operating today.
Kentucky has been the home of two disputes with offshore online gambling sites. In 2008, kentucky gov. Steve beshear’s office initiated a lawsuit in an attempt to seize 141 domain names related to gambling. Major sites were included in the list. Big names like pokerstars, full tilt poker, absolute poker, doylesroom and cake poker were among them. The case dragged out until 2014 when a state appeals court essentially quashed it. This case was the beginning of offshore gaming sites moving to domains that do not use the .Com extension. Kentucky received a small settlement related to black friday due to this case before it ultimately failed.
Pokerstars debacle
Kentucky is also the venue where pokerstars was sued for $290 million for accepting players in the state. Government officials alleged that pokerstars operated illegally and should be compelled to pay the state for its residents’ gambling losses under qui tam laws. The alleged events occurred from 2006 to 2011.
These loss recovery laws permit anybody to recover illegal gambling losses if the loser does not act within six months. A lower court awarded the $290 million as well as treble damages, making the total judgment $870 million. The case is currently under appeal
Pokerstars was owned by rational group at the time the lawsuit is based. It has since been acquired by amaya gaming. The new owners of pokerstars have vowed to fight the case or pursue the former owners if it ultimately loses the legal battle.
Kentucky casinos & gambling FAQ
Is horse racing legal in kentucky?
Yes. Kentucky is considered the home of the horse racing industry in the country.
Kentucky casinos and gambling
Short summary: kentucky is one of the most restrictive states for land-based gambling of the fifty as this state is home to zero casinos proper. In addition to a booming lottery industry, kentucky is home to six significant horse racetracks, including the churchill downs, and offers live and simulcast wagering. A few of these tracks also offer historical horse racing terminals, which resemble slot machines, but are not.
Most kentucky residents who want to play casino games travel to indiana, west virginia, or ohio where they can play legally. Indiana has many riverboat based casinos along the ohio river, west virginia has a dog track and casino fairly close to kentucky and cincinnati, ohio has a large casino just across the river from kentucky.
Perhaps the world’s most famous horse racing event, the kentucky derby, is held annually at churchill downs, located in louisville, kentucky. This event is the biggest of its kind and has run every year since 1875. Additionally, it gets more racing handle (total bets) than any other race throughout the year, both live and simulcast. Finally, it is the first of the three events (the others being the belmont stakes and the preakness) to comprise the triple crown, so in order to be a triple crown contender, the horse must first win this event.
Naturally, being one of the biggest states in the country (if not arguably the biggest) for live horse racing/betting, the state of kentucky also allows for pari-mutuel simulcast wagering. Kentucky, however, does not have any active greyhound tracks.
While there are no casinos or slot machines of the traditional sense in kentucky, at least not legal ones, the state’s racetracks can be home (if they choose) to historical racing machines. Essentially, the player makes bets on historical races on these electronic gambling devices and the function is really (as with other horse tracks with real slot machines or VLT’s) to drum up additional revenue for the tracks.
Additional forms of gambling are legal in the state, including:
The state of kentucky is pretty generous insofar as it does not take a cut of charitable gambling revenues, rather, it just has licensing fees and collects fines for any violations of the code. They may make some money in that regard, however, as kentucky seems to have some of the most stringent and specific charitable gambling codes in the country.
The lottery is quite popular in kentucky. As you can see, for fiscal year 2018, the lottery cracked one billion in sales pretty safely. This performance was led mainly by impressive revenues in scratch-off sales, but all other lottery segments reported positive growth. Kentucky does participate in the two largest national lotteries: powerball and mega millions.
Based on a population estimate of 4.468 million residents, the average (mean) lottery sales per resident, per annum, was $233.33 for fiscal year 2018. Remember, while kentucky does have lottery keno (drawings shown on TV in the locations of keno vendors) there are no video lottery terminals (ie: slots) to prop up these numbers. Given that keno came in with less than 100 million dollars in revenue for the year, these numbers are largely driven by pure lottery performance.
The legality of online gambling in kentucky
Due to the fact that there is no specifically legalized online gambling sites in the state, kentucky is one of the states to whom most internet casinos will offer their services. Almost invariably, these sites will be housed outside of the united states and out of the reach of kentucky law enforcement. The state really can’t do anything in an area in which it has no jurisdiction.
However, there are many online casinos who will NOT conduct business in kentucky. This is largely due to a lawsuit in the state in which the state essentially awarded itself (though it claimed it was on behalf of the consumers) hundreds of millions of dollars for players allegedly defrauded by pokerstars. This decision was later overturned (december 2018).
On appeal, with the appeals court maintaining that the state is NOT an individual and may not sue in the capacity of an individual. More than that, the state of kentucky failed to identify any actual individuals who lost money on pokerstars.
Interestingly, unless the statute of limitations has tolled, it means that a class action lawsuit against pokerstars could/could have theoretically prevailed, but that is because there were several (alleged) individuals who were aggrieved by pokerstars’ practices, the state itself was clearly unharmed.
In any case, many sites do not operate within the confines of the state of kentucky for precisely this reason. There are several other sites who operate in a licensed and regulated way elsewhere in the united states (such as caesar’s in new jersey, for one example) who would obviously choose not to operate in an unregulated manner in other states.
The closest that kentucky comes to legalized and regulated online gambling is the fact that they do conduct ilottery internet sales, but those sales comprise just under 1% of total lottery sales in fiscal year 2018 as they came in at barely over ten million dollars.
Casinos in louisville kentucky: closest one & map
It’s home to perhaps the world’s greatest gambling spectacle, yet it doesn’t have a casino.
We’re talking about louisville, kentucky, the pretty, historic city on the banks of the ohio river famous for the louisville slugger, kentucky fried chicken, and a little horse race known as the kentucky derby, in which gamblers from across the globe spend part of the first saturday in may to wager a combined $200 million dollars on “the most exciting two minutes in sports.”
Despite being the gambling capital of the world (for one day anyway), louisville does not have a casino in the traditional sense of a las vegas-style resort with a variety of slots, craps, blackjack and other table games. Kentucky is that rare state not to have any commercial or indian casinos.
There is a modern-looking pseudo-casino called derby city gaming (more on that below), along with some kentucky racetracks that offer what’s called “historical racing machines.”
As such, residents and visitors wanting to visit a casino to get their slot machine, craps or blackjack fix must go across the ohio river to indiana, where there is a major casino resort less than 10 miles away from downtown louisville (as the crow flies).
It’s about a 15 mile drive from downtown louisville. (more on that later).
(below you’ll see the drive from downtown louisville “A” to the horseshoe “B”. The brown star represents derby city gaming)
Closest casino to louisville, KY
Owning a virtual monopoly on the louisville gaming market, caesars southern indiana hotel & casino (formerly the horseshoe), is the only casino within 50 miles of downtown louisville, kentucky.
It sits on the banks of the ohio river, next to an open field, in a pretty rural setting that is the complete opposite of the las vegas strip and most other casino settings you’re probably used to.
And while it’s just a 15 mile drive from downtown louisville to caesars southern indiana, it will take you between 20 to 30 minutes to get there, on account of the fact you’ll have to drive over the sherman minton bridge into new albany, indiana, before traveling south along highway 111. (there aren’t any closer bridges).
Caesars southern indiana hotel & casino
Opened in 1998 as “caesars indiana” then later renamed “the horseshoe” the old casino was the largest riverboat in the united states. Now, however, the new casino is now all on land.
It’s also a beautiful brand new property. Opened in december 2019, the $90 million dollar casino has 110,000 square feet.
It’s a caesars’ entertainment property, meaning you can use your caesars rewards card here at any one of the 1,300 slot machines/ video poker machines. Unlike the historical racing machines, these are real slot machines, like wheel of fortune, hot shot progressives, themed-based slots like “the hangover,” “willy wonka,” and the like.
The selection of 70 table games include blackjack, let-it-ride, roulette, pai-gow, mini-baccarat and something you don’t see in las vegas much, craps, with 100x odds! Thanks to legislation, there’s also a plush sportsbook now called “the book.”
More my speed are the low limit hold’em and no-limit texas hold’em games found in the horseshoe’s 16 table poker room. They also run satellite tournaments for world series of poker events.
The new caesars events center hosts concerts, magicians and the like and can seat over 1,200 people.
Hotel and restaurants
The hotel’s 503 rooms were all renovated in the spring of 2017.
In addition, to the spa, shops, bars and lounges and showroom, there are several dining options, ranging from a coffee bar to – on the fancier side – jack binion’s steak. The new piazza area is home to four fast-casual restaurants.
In addition to the massive 5 level parking garage for casino patrons, guests staying at the hotel have their own large four-story parking structure. Both have indoor walkways to the casino, and parking is free.
Address and phone
11999 casino center drive
elizabeth, IN. 47117
Derby city gaming
Owned by churchill downs, derby city gaming was built in 2018 and is located on poplar level road in louisville.
The modern building is infused with kentucky derby artifacts and decor, including a rose decorated ceiling. It has 1,000 historical racing machines. These look similar to traditional slots but play different (more on that below). There’s also a very small simulcast racing OTB parlor.
Derby city gaming’s two restaurants are lil’wagners and railbirds’ hot chicken. You have to be 21 years or older to play here, and there is plenty of free parking, with nearly 1,200 spaces.
Other casinos close to lousiville, KY
At just 15 miles from louisville, the horseshoe (black pin on map) doesn’t have much competition. In fact, most of the the next closest casinos are casinos outside of cincinnati, ohio.
Closest among these is the belterra casino resort (green star on map), in florence, indiana.
Located just a few miles off of interstate 71 across the ohio river, it’s 66 miles northeast of louisville, and would take you between an hour and an hour and twenty minutes to drive.
The beautiful property includes a 603 room hotel, and a 38,000 square foot riverboat casino featuring 1,200 slot machine/video poker machines, along with all the usual table games. There is now a sports book here as well.
To the northwest, the french lick resort (orange star) in french lick, indiana has a 51,000 square foot casino.
It’s just 57 miles away, using the closest route, however because this highway 150 is mostly just a two lane road, google maps says it will take you between an hour and ten minutes, to an hour and forty minutes to get there.
Other than a couple of casinos near cincinnati, the only other casino fairly close to louisville is the rising star casino (yellow pin on map), at 82 miles away.
Historical horse racing machines
As mentioned above, kentucky does allow racetracks to offer what’s called “historical horse racing machines,” (also called hrms or “instant racing machines”).
These are sort of look like video slot machines, but have outcomes based on past horse races – all in a complicated format clearly designed as a legal loophole used to sneak in games that would otherwise be illegal under kentucky law.
Instead of using a random number generator and playing against the house, the money you insert is part of a pool of money put in by other players.
In addition to the thousand HRM’s at derby city gaming, there are currently historical racing machines at kentucky downs, red mile, keeneland, and ellis park.
By steve beauregard. Top photos courtesy of caesars entertainment
Kentucky casinos
Kentucky isn’t a state that associates itself very strongly with gambling. And yet, in at least one corner of the industry, there is virtually nowhere else in the world that can be regarded as more important or historic. That’s because this may well be the heart of horse racing in america, a fact that has had a major impact on – and will likely continue to shape – the gaming industry in the bluegrass state.
Historical illicit dens give way to horse racing
Once upon a time, kentucky was the gambling capital of the united states. Of course, you have to go back a ways to find a time when that was true. In particular, the city of newport was home to illegal operations run by organized crime starting in the 19th century, vestiges of which persisted throughout much of the 20th century as well. In particular, the prohibition of alcohol in 1919 turned newport into a true “sin city,” at least for a few decades.
But that began to change in the 1960s, and by the 1980s, the last remains of that history were gone from newport. That left few gambling options for residents of the state, at least until november 1988, when voters overwhelmingly approved a state lottery. In 1989, the kentucky lottery began selling instant scratch games, and today, there are several drawings held each week. State residents are also free to take part in multi-state games like mega millions, lucky for life, and powerball.
Of course, the most well-known aspect of gambling in the state is the horse racing industry, which has always been important to kentucky. Churchill downs is perhaps the most storied venue in the sport, first opening in 1875. While you couldn’t always gamble on the races there (at least not directly with the track), pari-mutuel betting has been available since the 1920s.
Churchill downs is home to the kentucky derby, one of the triple crown races and probably the single biggest name in at least north american horse racing. It has also hosted some other major events over the years, such as the breeders cup. The racing industry is much bigger than one track here, though, with other major tracks like ellis park, kentucky downs, and keeneland also playing host to major events and long seasons of racing at various levels.
There is one major gap in the local gaming landscape. At least for now, the state isn’t home to a single casino. In fact, even the racetracks are not allowed to offer slot machines or table games, meaning kentuckians must travel to neighboring states such as illinois or indiana if they want to play casino games.
Kentucky casinos
Kentucky isn’t a state that associates itself very strongly with gambling. And yet, in at least one corner of the industry, there is virtually nowhere else in the world that can be regarded as more important or historic. That’s because this may well be the heart of horse racing in america, a fact that has had a major impact on – and will likely continue to shape – the gaming industry in the bluegrass state.
Historical illicit dens give way to horse racing
Once upon a time, kentucky was the gambling capital of the united states. Of course, you have to go back a ways to find a time when that was true. In particular, the city of newport was home to illegal operations run by organized crime starting in the 19th century, vestiges of which persisted throughout much of the 20th century as well. In particular, the prohibition of alcohol in 1919 turned newport into a true “sin city,” at least for a few decades.
But that began to change in the 1960s, and by the 1980s, the last remains of that history were gone from newport. That left few gambling options for residents of the state, at least until november 1988, when voters overwhelmingly approved a state lottery. In 1989, the kentucky lottery began selling instant scratch games, and today, there are several drawings held each week. State residents are also free to take part in multi-state games like mega millions, lucky for life, and powerball.
Of course, the most well-known aspect of gambling in the state is the horse racing industry, which has always been important to kentucky. Churchill downs is perhaps the most storied venue in the sport, first opening in 1875. While you couldn’t always gamble on the races there (at least not directly with the track), pari-mutuel betting has been available since the 1920s.
Churchill downs is home to the kentucky derby, one of the triple crown races and probably the single biggest name in at least north american horse racing. It has also hosted some other major events over the years, such as the breeders cup. The racing industry is much bigger than one track here, though, with other major tracks like ellis park, kentucky downs, and keeneland also playing host to major events and long seasons of racing at various levels.
There is one major gap in the local gaming landscape. At least for now, the state isn’t home to a single casino. In fact, even the racetracks are not allowed to offer slot machines or table games, meaning kentuckians must travel to neighboring states such as illinois or indiana if they want to play casino games.
So, let's see, what we have: the most accurate list of casinos in kentucky (KY). Find addresses, read reviews and get the best offers on 4 casinos. At slot casino in kentucky
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