While there is no timetable to legalize Kentucky sports betting, the Bluegrass State is still adding to its horse racing footprint.
The Caesars horse racing app is now available to download on iOS in Kentucky, the company has announced. New customers registering will be eligible for a 100% first deposit match (up to $500).
Caesars released the news Tuesday morning on Twitter with a special announcement from former ESPN sports media personality Kenny Mayne.
The Caesars Racebook app, from Caesars Sportsbook and the New York Racing Association (NYRA), offers bettors “pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing content from more than 250 tracks around the world with betting on marquee tracks in the United State and internationally,” according to the release.
Some of the horse racing tracks on the app are Belmont Park, Del Mar, Santa Anita and Saratoga Race Course. It also provides betting at Caesars-operated tracks Harrah’s Hoosier Park, Horseshoe Indianapolis, Harrah’s Philadelphia and Eldorado Gaming Scioto Downs.
The app launched in Florida and Ohio in June. It has also launched in Indiana, Oregon and Montana. Now Caesars Racebook is live in one of the states that hosts a Triple Crown race.
“The launch of Caesars Racebook is an important milestone as we continue to add wagering opportunities for our customers and livestreaming content for the first time,” Dan Shapiro, senior vice president and chief development officer of Caesars Digital, said in the release.
“Caesars Racebook is truly differentiated as the first horse racing advance deposit wagering app to include our award-winning Caesars Rewards loyalty program. We look forward to welcoming new horse racing customers and existing fans onto the platform and to working with NYRA Bets to grow horse racing as we deploy Caesars Racebook with plans to launch in about 30 states across the country.”
Caesars continues to expand into horse racing, which generated more than $12 billion in pari-mutuel wagering last year. Horse race betting, either through the Caesars Sportsbook Kentucky app or on Historical Horse Racing machines, gives bettors some options in Kentucky.
More About the Caesars Racebook App
Users of the Caesars Kentucky app can take advantage of other perks with NYRA bets, which includes race replays and handicapping insight, the release said.
“The new Caesars Racebook app, which utilizes the NYRA Bets interface and technology, will expand access to world-class horse racing now and in the future,’’ NYRA Bets General Manager Matt Feig said in the release.
“The partnership between NYRA Bets and Caesars is a win for horse racing, its stakeholders and countless racetracks around the world.”
Caesars and the NYRA announced their partnership in January, making Caesars the official sports betting marketing partner in New York and the title sponsor of the NYRA Turf Triple Series at Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.
Learn More: Best Sports Betting Apps Coming To Kentucky
What’s Next for Kentucky Sports Betting?
A bill that would legalize sports betting in Kentucky, HB606, was approved in the House in March. It was the first time a sports betting bill had cleared the House. But it never came up for a vote in the Senate before the session ended in April.
Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer was pleased with how far the sports betting bill progressed during the session, giving it momentum heading into the 2023 session. But the Rep. Adam Koenig, who sponsored the bill and was its key supporter lost in his primary in May.
It remains to be seen who will back sports betting legislation in 2023. An additional hurdle any bill faces is the fact that in odd years the Kentucky Legislature meets for 30-day sessions. Kentucky Derby wagering easily set a new handle record in May, so you can only imagine bettors want to see Kentucky sports betting on events other than horse racing come to life.
