The Executive Director of the Ohio Casino Control Commission, Matt Schuler, said Kentucky made “a fundamental mistake” by legalizing sports betting for people aged 18 and older. The regulator described the possibility for Ohio individuals under 21 to go across the border, open an account in Kentucky and bet as “horrible.”
Kentucky legalized sports betting on March 31, when Governor Andy Beshear signed House Bill 552 into law. No launch date has been set for the industry because the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission is still developing rules. Of the 37 states that legalized sports betting so far, Kentucky is among five that allow 18-year-olds to bet, according to the American Gaming Association.
“It’s consistent with all of our other gaming laws in Kentucky,” said Rep. Michael Meredith, R-Brownsville, sponsor of the sports betting bill, as reported by the WCPO 9 News. “You can bet at a horse track in Kentucky when you’re 18. You can go to an HHR facility at 18 by statute. Now, several of our HHR facilities have self-regulated to 21, but the statute says 18. And then, you can buy lottery tickets in Kentucky at 18 too. So, it’s consistent with all of our other wagering laws.”
