Are There Gambling Casinos In Kentucky

  1. Are There Any Gambling Casinos In Kentucky
  2. Are There Gambling Casinos In Kentucky

There is no form of traditional casino gambling in the state of Kentucky. Instead, some Kentucky gaming locations offer instant racing betting machines. These machines resemble regular slot machines, but are actually gaming machines that give results based on past horse races. Best Casinos in Louisville, KY - I'm glad Louisville has a casino so now I don't have to spend the time going to the boat in Indiana. This casino is only slot machines so if you're into black jack and other card games, you won't find it here. If this is your first time going, you can sign up for a card and get a chance to spend a wheel for free gameplay. I managed to get $25 so I didn't have. There are no casinos or poker gambling opportunities in Kentucky via brick-and-mortar or domestic online avenues. Additionally, domestic sports betting is not yet legal in the state, though the KY legislature has attempted to start the ball rolling on that market. Is Online Gambling Legal In Kentucky? Casino Games: No, there are no regulated casinos or tribal ones in Kentucky. The best you can hope for here is a charitable ‘casino night’ with minimal prizes for a good cause. Many Kentucky residents cross the border into neighboring Ohio or Indiana to enjoy their tribal and riverboat casinos.

Kentucky is not a gambling-friendly state by any means. Actually, it could have some of the strictest laws around gambling in the entire country.

That being said, Kentucky does have minimal options for those looking to press their luck, including the famously known Kentucky Derby.

Horse racing is legal in the Bluegrass State, as well as the state lottery.

Is online gambling in the future of Kentucky? And how did the state become so strict towards gambling in the first place? We break it down and more in our Kentucky gambling guide below.

Online Casinos in Kentucky

Although Kentucky has a long tradition with horse racing, it has not legalized casinos (online or otherwise).

There have been limited discussions of legalizing online casinos, but it seems unlikely that we'll see online casinos offered there in the foreseeable future.

Kentucky does have a state lottery, which can indicate an openness to other forms of betting.

The nearest online casinos will be in West Virginia, which has already approved legislation. Tennessee has recently approved online sports betting.

But, you can still register with a legal online casino while you're in Kentucky.

That means you can get the casino's bonus offers or deposit, and then play whenever you're in states where it's legal (even in a layover at the airport). (Do be aware of the casinobonus's expiry date, though.)

The only forms of legal online gambling in the state include the lottery and pari-mutuel betting.

Land-Based Casinos in Kentucky

The most common type of gambling offered is pari-mutuel betting on thoroughbred horse racing at the 10 racetracks located throughout the state.

The most famous horse race offered in the state is the Kentucky Derby, which has been run annually since 1875.

The Kentucky Derby is always run at Churchill Downs on the first Sunday in May.

Are There Gambling Casinos In Kentucky

A festival is also held each year for two weeks before the race in Louisville, where the track is located. Louisville is also the state's largest city.

There are three racetrack casinos in Kentucky that offer some form of casino gambling. There are no traditional slot machines in Kentucky casinos. Instead, they all offer instant racing bettingmachines.

While these machines may appear to be regular slot machines, they are actually gaming machines that are based on unidentified past horse races and the spinning reels shown on the machinesare for entertainment purposes only.

Those instant racing machines are the only types of casino gambling offered in Kentucky casinos. You will not find any table games offered at the casinos in Kentucky.

Types of Casinos in Kentucky

There are no traditional casinos in Kentucky.

Residents have numerous racetracks to choose from, as explained above.

List of Racetracks in Kentucky

Click on any of the race tracks below to learn more about them.





Derby City Gaming

  • 4520 Poplar Level Rd, Louisville, KY 40213
  • +1 502-961-7600
  • Games: Instant racing betting machines

Ellis Park

  • 3300 US-41, Henderson, KY 42420
  • +1 812-425-1456
  • Games: Instant racing betting machines

Kentucky Downs

Are there gambling casinos in kentucky
  • 5629 Nashville Rd, Franklin, KY 42134
  • +1 270-586-7778
  • Games: Instant racing betting machines

Red Mile

  • 1200 Red Mile Rd, Lexington, KY 40504
  • +1 859-255-0752
  • Games: Instant racing betting machines

Churchill Downs

  • 700 Central Ave, Louisville, KY 40208
  • +1 502-636-4400
  • Games: Instant racing betting machines
  • Hosts the Kentucky Derby

Turfway Park

  • 7500 Turfway Rd, Florence, KY 41042
  • +1 859-371-0200
  • Games: Instant racing betting machines

Keeneland

  • 4201 Versailles Rd, Lexington, KY 40510
  • +1 859-254-3412
  • Games: Instant racing betting machines

Kentucky Land-Based Casinos Map

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When it comes to gambling in “The Bluegrass State,” your only options are topKentucky online casinos. With brick and mortar, the state only allows horse racing wagering and less than 1,000 slot machines state-wide. Thankfully, there are plenty of high-quality, safe, trusted Kentucky online casino sites. The recently updated chart below showcases the top options in your state offering real money betting action.
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What Factors Make These the Best Kentucky Online Casinos?

Climbing onto our recommended list of the top Kentucky online casino sites is not an easy task. Many have tried, and most have fallen short. Why? It’s because we’re extremely strict when it comes to rating and evaluating Kentucky online casinos.

We’ve made it our mission to only recommend the best of the best. We must stick to our guns to accomplish that mission.

For more insight into the process, let’s look at three of the most critical elements possessed by the top Kentucky online casino sites.

Secure, Safe Gaming Platform

If you have to worry about your personal safety or the security of your money when gambling online, something is wrong. The most important assessment we make when determining the top Kentucky online casinos is whether or not they are safe.

Safety extends to your money, your bets, your personal information, and you.

Here are the critical questions we ask when choosing the top Kentucky casino sites:

  • Do they place importance on safety and security?
  • Are their servers and software regularly updated to patch holes and curb threats?
  • Have they hired experts in the fields of safety, security, and fraud prevention?
  • Are they using high-level encryption and SSL certificates properly?
  • Have they selected trusted banking partners? Are they integrated properly?
  • Do their internal company processes protect your money and information?

Casino Games Kentucky Gamblers Want

Determining the casino games Kentucky residents like is challenging. Why? Most Kentucky residents haven’t experienced much more than horse racing and a few slots due to strict brick and mortar legislation. For those that have ventured outside of the state lines, we’ve found a propensity to play blackjack, roulette, and craps.

You’ll find that all of the top Kentucky online casinos recommended here knock it out of the park with these three games. These preferences are important to us because we want to ensure you’re getting proper access to the games you want to play.

For those of you that like to play other games, we didn’t leave you out. All of the Kentucky online casinos we’ve recommended have a wide range of high-quality game options. So, if you like slot machines, keno, Let It Ride, bingo, or any other real money casino game, you’ll be squared away.

Top of the Line Quality

Our tolerance level for subpar quality Kentucky casinos is 0.0. There are zero acceptable excuses for not delivering the highest game quality, the best graphics and animations, and an overall experience that gets people excited.

Are There Any Gambling Casinos In Kentucky

We can confidently say that all the Kentucky online casino sites listed here are the best of the best.

Making our determinations is a long process consisting of testing, evaluating, and research. The structured process utilizes our quality control checklist, which we’ve attached below for your reference.

Quality Control Checklist for Online Casino Sites

Routine game updates✔️ or ❌
Classic games preserved✔️ or ❌
Quality game graphics✔️ or ❌
Seamless game animations✔️ or ❌
Servers equipped to handle gaming volume✔️ or ❌
Fair games✔️ or ❌
24/7/365 Customer service✔️ or ❌

Are Kentucky Online Casino Sites Legal?

The number of laws on the books in Kentucky stating online gambling is illegal is zero. Now, there also are no laws regulating online casinos or addressing the legality of it. But, in our opinion, that doesn’t matter to answer the question of whether Kentucky online casino sites are legal or not.

If you are not breaking any laws when you do something, it can’t be classified as illegal.

It’s our interpretation that online gambling in Kentucky is legal.

Does everyone interpret things as clearly as we do? No. Many legal fanatics feel without proper regulation or legal framework, playing at Kentucky online casinos is illegal. But that argument does not hold water. Statutory regulation is not a requirement for something to be legal. The legal requirement is that it breaks no laws.

Are there any KY laws regulating the use of bongo drums? No. Are there any KY laws that state the use of bongo drums is legal? No. So, are bongo drums illegal? No. This simple analogy demonstrates the counterargument commonly used is invalid.

Future Predictions for Kentucky Online Casinos

Are There Gambling Casinos In Kentucky

We predict the legal landscape for Kentucky gambling sites to remain at the status quo for the foreseeable future. We have seen some proposed bills for online gambling moving through the state, but no concrete decisions just yet. These attempts are a good indicator which normally would lead us to predict positive movement for Kentucky online casinos. But the reason we are hesitant to do so is because of the state’s stance on brick and mortar gambling.

Usually, there is a natural progression states follow, with brick and mortar gambling leading the charge followed by online gambling.

If that is to remain valid, online casinos will need to wait for the brick and mortar side of the aisle to get it together.

Thankfully, there are no laws in KY labeling online casino play as illegal. So, even though it would be nice to see further regulation, we can deal with the current climate. You won’t be gambling in person in KY anytime soon, but you can still get action at plenty of Kentucky online casino sites.

Laws Surrounding Land-Based Casino Operations in Kentucky

Kentucky takes home the blue ribbon for possessing one of the strictest stances in the country towards brick and mortar gambling. Unless it’s horse racing or a few select slot providers, it’s banned in the state. Even though federal law allows for Indian casinos on tribal land, there are none in Kentucky.

Kentucky Revised Statutes 230.010, et seq. & 528.010, et seq. govern gambling.

Their definition of gambling is “Staking or risking something of value upon the outcome of a contest or game based upon an element of chance.”

Sadly, we don’t have better news about the brick and mortar laws in the state. The future for in-person gambling in KY does not show any signs of improvement anytime soon. While we hope we are wrong, all indicators point to a continuation of the status quo for the foreseeable future. Your two options are to stick to horseracing betting and limited slots or check out a few of the best Kentucky online casinos.

Kentucky Online Casinos FAQ

Yes! As long as you follow a few simple safety guidelines, the top Kentucky online casinos are 100% safe:

– Only gamble with trusted Kentucky gambling sites
– Never wager when you’re intoxicated, confused, or emotional
– Don’t bet more money than you’re okay with losing
– Keep your computer updated (antivirus and system updates)
– Never log into your account from a shared computer or device

Everything! If it’s a game you can bet on, it’s available at one of the Kentucky online gambling sites listed here. This includes table games, casino-style games, keno, bingo, scratch-offs, slots, sports betting, racebook wagering, and fantasy sports.
Can I Play Casino Games for Real Money in Kentucky?
Yes! All of the casino games offered at the top Kentucky online casinos listed here are available for real money play. Stakes start as low as $0.01, and the sky is the limit for the big players out there. Additionally, all games are available for free play which gives you an excellent opportunity to test out a casino site to see if you like it before playing for real money.
Am I Able to Play Real Money Casino Games from My Phone?
Yes. All of the Kentucky online casino sites recommended here offer high-quality mobile gambling platforms. You can play all of the games for real money from your iPhone, Android, iPad, tablet, or other smart devices.