Online Casinos in Kentucky 2025

Knowing all the facts about the local gambling industry is not necessary to start making real money bets though it’s better to learn at least the basic legal information to at least know where you stand. Are you breaking the law? Is there a chance to be prosecuted? Should you be worried? In this part, we’ll try to answer these and some other questions concerning gambling in Kentucky so you can feel more comfortable next time you decide to go on a hunt for a jackpot.

Laws Affecting Online Gambling in Kentucky

We rarely say this about the US states but no, gambling is not allowed in Kentucky. You’ll never find a real full-scale casino here so when Kentucky residents want to play some slots or roulette, they have to take a trip to the nearest state where gambling laws are more liberal. The situation is not completely desperate though, at least there are some bingo halls allowed and the lottery is also widely popular in Kentucky (and it’s no wonder when you have no other options).

As for the question that our readers are more concerned about — is online gambling legal in Kentucky — the answer is more indefinite than the Kentucky land-based gambling laws. Just like in most of the states, online gambling is not regulated meaning there are no Kentucky online gambling laws that would either allow or ban online bets. What we know is that local authorities tried to block some international websites which basically lead to nothing and players from Kentucky are still able to make their bets in any offshore online casino they like.

Sports Betting in Kentucky

Generally, sports betting is illegal in Kentucky, just like most other types of gambling. There were several attempts to legalize it but they didn’t see much support and were considered to be anti-constitutional. You might already be thinking that there is no way to have fun if you live in Kentucky but no, fortunately, there are some kinds of sports betting allowed. There are a couple of fantasy leagues and, what’s more important, horse betting is totally legal in Kentucky and there are quite a bunch of racing tracks in the state — some of them have some kind of betting machines but they are far from being the real slots. Surprisingly, there is even an online race betting site owned by one of the largest race tracks in Kentucky.

The Kentuckians are widely accepted on the international sports betting websites too so if horse racing doesn’t make your heart beat faster — you can always find something that will go overseas. Offshore online casinos provide a much wider range of betting services and you can expect to get more bonuses and special promotions than you’d do on the local tracks.

Getting Help for Problem Gambling in Kentucky

Players often visiting the US gambling sites as well as the offshore online casinos know that responsible gaming is the main thing promoted there. But unfortunately, not everyone can manage to keep it responsible and some players slip to the problem gambling. And the fact that Kentucky doesn’t support gambling doesn’t mean that Kentucky doesn’t support those who gamble — there are effective ways to get help in the state if you feel that gambling started to cause more problems than fun or if someone you know has troubles that involve excessive betting. Here’s who you need to contact in this case:

• Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling. Here, one can get a certified gambling counselor or get crisis response on a 24\7 phone helpline.

• Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. While it’s mostly responsible for general health services, it can provide consultation and help to those struggling with addictions as well.

• Gamblers Anonymous. In the most well-known addiction-fighting community in the country, you can get all the necessary help and support. Use the GA website to locate the nearest meeting or just talk to someone.

Despite the conservative laws, online gambling in Kentucky is not the only way to make bets — there are some race tracks where you can satisfy your gambling curiosity and spend some good time. Of course, these venues are not able to provide you with such a variety of gambling games as online casinos do but they are nice to visit for a change anyways.

The Red Mile Kentucky Harness & Historic Racing

Usually called just the Red Mile, it’s a horse racing track in Lexington. The Red Mile is one of the most popular harness racing tracks in the country and welcomes thousands of visitors every year. Harness racing is that kind of horse racing in which a horse is pulling a sulky — a two-wheel cart. Besides the regular races, there are also all kinds of events held in the Red Mile, starting from the Veteran’s Appreciation Day and ending with the family-friendly Hat Contest.

The Red Mile also offers a separate set of gaming activities which is actually still the race betting — just the automated one. There are more than a hundred horse racing terminals that might look like slots but they are not, at least not in a traditional sense. It doesn’t make them less fun though so we recommend trying them to get a chance to win a jackpot. The Red Mile is not that kind of a casino where you can find fancy dining options but staying hungry is not an option. There are several bars and cafes where you can grab some beer and burgers while waiting for the next round.

Derby City Gaming

The Derby City Gaming is a large new betting facility that was opened in Louisville in 2018. It was originally a harness racetrack that was closed back in 1991 and is now a gaming hall full of historical racing machines. These machines that some people can confuse with regular slots at the first glance allow you to make pari-mutuel bets on the historical races. In Derby City Gaming, there are more than 1000 historical racing machines with around 80 themes from Triple Action Dragons to Pacman.

As for the entertainment, there are two nice restaurants, The Railbirds Hot Chicken and The Lil’ Wagner’s and a bar where live music shows are held regularly. There is no hotel on the territory though there is a bunch around in case you want to spend more than a day at the Derby City Gaming.

Kentucky Downs Casino

Kentucky Downs is a thoroughbred horse racing track located in Franklin — just on the border between Kentucky and Tennessee. It was ranked #2 among all the horse race tracks in North America so it’s definitely a place worth visiting if you are a fan of this kind of sports. Besides, Kentucky Downs is a unique track as it’s covered by grass instead of the dirt usual for all other tracks and it’s not oval like traditional ones.

It was not called a casino by a chance so watching horse races is not the only thing you can do at Kentucky Downs. The place features more than 500 gaming terminals with 61 unique themes and quite a large jackpot fund — there is a chance to win more than $700,000. Regular visitors can join the Players Club to get special promotions and discounts in local bars and restaurants (which are quite nice).

Online gambling in Kentucky is much more versatile than the one in the abovementioned casinos. We don’t say betting on historical races is not fun but international online casinos deliver a whole new level of gambling services. And the jackpots are much larger, just to mention. So when you are done with visiting Kentucky racing places, pick one of the SlotsUp casinos and see what they can bring you. To make the choice easier, here are the three of our favorite ones to get you going.

• Superlines. The Superlines casino is full of surprises and special promotions. You can start with a 400% welcome bonus on your first deposit, 100% on the second one, and 200% on the third one. Continue with the Ladie’s or Gent’s Night or spin the Wonderwheel to win. Don’t forget to visit the casino on your birthday as there will be a special present waiting for you.

• Red Dog. Once you open the casino website, you’ll be greeted by a cute red dog that will show you all the bonuses it has in the pocket starting from 225% welcome bonus and ending with the Game of The Month promotion that can bring you up to 40 free spins. And no worries, a dog has enough games to offer you too. There are all kinds of video slots, table games, poker, and some rare specialties for the real gambling connoisseurs.

• BoVegas. Last but not least casino in our today’s selection is the BoVegas — the casino with a huge welcome bonus that can reach $5500. The casino promises the "Pentagon-level security" and no deposit fees which we think are the best things to find in an online casino today. So don’t skip this option just because the website looks slightly old-school as this is the place where you can have a lot of fun making real money bets.