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Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, who fought so lengthy to deliver cell sports activities betting to the state, says bettors are “having fun with it.” [Image: Shutterstock.com]
Huge sums guess
What Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear envisioned throughout the years he battled to get cell sports activities betting handed within the state has come to cross: huge sums guess and “the {dollars} staying proper right here.”
On Friday, Gov. Beshear took to X to share that bettors handed over $68m in complete bets from Thursday to Sunday:
The $68m in 4 days, based on the Governor, was the mixed take from retail and cell sports activities betting. The latter, on its debut, noticed Kentuckians guess $66.5m.
LEX 18 cited figures from the Governor’s workplace, stating that prospects have up to now opened 300,000 wagering accounts with authorized cell sportsbooks.
Needed it so lengthy
“We lastly did it!” Beshear honked in March after HB 551 received Senate approval late within the final day of the state’s 2023 Basic Meeting, paving the best way for final week’s market debut. For Kentucky’s main sports activities betting cheerleader, the early figures should really feel like candy vindication for serving to shove HB 551 throughout the road.
Beshear on Friday added that the response was greater than anticipated, however that it shouldn’t shock anybody “as a result of Kentuckians have wished this feature for thus lengthy.”
Now, nearly 4 years later, Beshear has seen his purpose realized and that bettors in state “are actually having fun with it.”
How proper it was to cross it.”
The Governor’s fundamental mantra has at all times been sports activities betting will deliver a lot wanted tax {dollars} to the state coffers. After Kentucky’s opening market salvo, Beshear stated the very best half was all of the tax {dollars} had been staying in-state, “serving to with our pension system and different wants.”
“How proper it was to cross it,” Beshear mirrored Friday.
Fingers-on Governor
One other upshot of Kentucky’s debut weekend is that the Governor additionally appears as comfy with hands-on sports activities betting as with the vertical’s legislative points.
“I nonetheless have an opportunity to win the very first sports activities guess ever made,” he said in reference to the $20 season-long, three-leg faculty soccer parlay he made when Kentucky’s retail market went dwell final month. Beshear guess on each the College of Louisville and College of Kentucky soccer groups to win extra video games this yr than sportsbooks predicted and for Duke to go the opposite means.
“UK and U of L are 5-0, and Duke has began to tank,” the on-a-roll Governor asserted Friday.
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