Gambling Opportunities in Kentucky
This site is meant to be a Guide to the Casinos of Kentucky.
As most of you already know, there isn't any legal casino gambling in Kentucky at this time. You have to take your money to Indiana or Illinois if you want to play the slots or casino games. We think that will change within the next few years. The Commonwealth is missing out on way to much revenue to not seriously consider legalized gambling.
We will be adding updated news about casino gaming in Kentucky as the news occurs. We also hope to add a few reviews of the Indiana riverboats as time goes along.
As soon as the casinos open for business in Kentucky we will be here with the news of what, where and when. In the meantime we will tell you where the action is right now and while we are waiting we have assembled a collection of articles about casino gaming for your reading pleasure.
Gambling Articles
2 Newest Kentucky Casino News stories are listed here.
12-19-2009
KEEP Board Discusses Gaming Options
The Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP), the lobbying group for the Kentucky horse industry held a board meeting earlier this week to discuss the proposed options for expanded gambling in Kentucky and other issues.
According to former Governor Brereton Jones, the chairman of KEEP, one of the options they discussed was amending the state's lottery law to permit local option votes to video lottery terminals, or slot machines, in counties where there are currently racetracks. He compared this to a vote on a wet/dry issue such as counties do for liquor. Chairman Jones did say KEEP has not taken a position on the proposal.
Another possibility the KEEP board is considering is "Instant Racing". Instant Racing is an electronic VLT type game where bettors make pari-mutuel wagers based on the outcome of "reruns" of randomly selected horse races. The games are in use at the Oaklawn Park Race Track in Arkansas.
Senator Thayer has reportedly asked Attorney General Jack Conway for an opinion on whether it is legal for Kentucky racetracks to add these machines
and said he has drafted legislation to allow the games should it become necessary.
12-14-2009
Republicans Keep Control of the Senate
After the pro slots Democratic candidate, former state Representative Jody Haydon, was defeated last week in a special election for 14th District seat, the continued Republican control of the state senate looks like a sure bet. The result of that election is that Damon Thayer's Constitutional Amendment bill looks like the only one that has a chance to get out of committee in the senate in 2010.
Former attorney general and current Speaker of the House, Greg Stumbo has said he will not present another bill for electronic slots at the tracks unless he feels it can make it to the floor of the senate. His bill last year was approved by the house and did not make it out of committee in the Senate.
The tracks are not in favor of Thayer's bill because it requires a statewide election, then local option elections and most of all because they would have to compete for the licenses.
Thayer is the chairman of the Senate State and Local Government Committee and believes he has the necessary 23 votes to put his bill on the floor of the state senate.
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