It can be difficult to follow. It can also be discouraging. Each year, lawmakers in various states introduce bills to legalize online poker within their states…and those bills die. Sometimes, they fade quietly into nonexistence. Other times, they start strong and fail miserably. And it’s even more difficult to follow when a state is working with numerous bills related to gambling. One moves, one absorbs the wording of another to create a more comprehensive bill, and yet another endures multiple hearings.
Hello, Kentucky.
With that said, only one state came through all of that with a bill still standing. Kentucky is closer than ever to legalizing online poker than ever before. Past Hopes Dashed
It has been frustrating to follow online poker and other gambling expansion efforts in Kentucky over the past several years. But it’s important to do a quick recap.
The most promising news out of Kentucky regarding online poker came in late 2018. Then-State Attorney General Andy Beshear faced a tremendous pension funding shortage. The state needed to find a way to pay for it without raising taxes. So, Beshear proposed that lawmakers draft a bill to expand gambling . In particular, he wanted lawmakers to consider casino games, sports betting, fantasy sports, and online poker.
By early 2020, Beshear was then the Kentucky Governor. That Democrat teamed up with Republican State Representative Adam Koenig to put their ideas to the public. At a press conference , they put their idea on the table, their proposal to legalize online poker, sports betting, and daily fantasy contests. The bipartisan team had some momentum and then…Covid.
Gambling expansion bills died in 2020 .
Online poker and sports betting then gained no traction in 2021. Pandemic recovery was top of mind, and no one was prepared to deal with gambling expansion. 2022 Started Innocently Enough
There were many bills in 2022. Several dedicated their purposes to gambling expansion, taxes, and responsible gambling directives. However, there were two primary ones featuring online poker. Koenig handled the House bill again this year, introducing HB.609 with two Democratic co-sponsors. And State Senator David Yates (Democrat) […]
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