Some Kentucky Sportsbooks Set Wagering Age at 18 Instead of 21

Thursday will see the launch of seven digital sports betting sites in Kentucky, making it the most populous state by population to permit legal gambling at the age of 18. However, there are only two platforms available to people who are 18 and those are bet365 and DraftKings. Barstool Sportsbook, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, Fanatics Sportsbook, and FanDuel are the other operators in the first launch group that won’t accept wagers from anybody under the age of 21. The age limit for gambling at Circa Sportsbook, which is licensed but won’t open until later this year, is 18.

Six U.S. states and the District of Columbia have made the age 18. Those states are Montana, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Washington state, and Washington, D.C. Washington State and Montana do not offer statewide digital betting. There is no question that it is easier to keep in compliance in every U.S. jurisdiction with a standard wagering age, and for most sportsbooks that is 21. In order to manage a single jurisdiction with a different minimum age, operators would need to make changes to their tech stack, particularly the know-your-customer (KYC) section. Geolocation services would also need to implement controls to ensure that an 18-year-old who can bet in Kentucky cannot bet in any of its six bordering states.

Kentucky’s legislators embraced the notion that parimutuel betting and horse racing are integral to the state’s culture. The Breeders’ Cup is frequently hosted in Kentucky, the Kentucky Derby is an annual, national event that dates back more than a century, and lawmakers legalized historical horse racing (HHR) in 2021. Kentucky and most other jurisdictions require that lottery players be 18 years of age.

Studies with concrete facts examining the difference between permitting gambling at 18 and 21 are not available. Advocates for responsible gambling are constantly in favor of raising the legal age. Over the past two years, responsible gambling has risen in importance among those involved in the casino industry. States across the country, including Kentucky’s neighbor Ohio, have tightened regulations on advertising to minors, made it mandatory for “21+” to be prominently displayed on certain advertisements and marketing materials, and fined operators who attempted to attract customers at or close to college campuses. When Kentucky’s regulators decided to adopt an 18-year-old legal age, Ohio criticized their Kentucky colleagues.

Cincinnati, a significant Ohio metropolis, is located not far from the Kentucky state line. Sports betting has produced unusual circumstances on borders across the United States, such as bettors parking at rest stations close across the border and restaurants offering discounts to out-of-staters who are betting. Since gambling has been permitted in Ohio since January 1 and Ohio has probably benefited from Kentucky wagering traffic, it’s feasible that minors will now cross the border in the opposite direction to gamble. The lack of a gambling education infrastructure in Kentucky is one of the problems that proponents of responsible gaming highlight in particular.