Kentucky Gambling Overview
In 2025, online sports betting remains the only option for legal gaming and wagering in the state. It all started in 2023 when the bill to regulate Kentucky sports betting was introduced. It came into effect in October of the same year, with the main focus on licensed sportsbooks vetted and approved by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC). That’s why you can now safely bet on prominent US bookies like FanDuel and DraftKings as a KY player. On the flip side, things aren’t looking that good for Kentucky casino sites. In fact, casino sites were a subject of debate even before the state’s legislators decided to legalize sports betting.
Unfortunately, the only way to play online casino games is via the official Kentucky Lottery (KY Lottery) website. It’s the sole legal platform in the state that offers instant-win, lottery, and other games that are commonly found at casino websites. Still, due to the current situation with the legislation, they mainly offer games in a lottery format. For example, you can join and play games like Zombie Rising: Rapid Reveal Jackpot. Although it may look like one, it’s not a slot in a traditional sense, but an instant lottery draw game with progressive rewards. There are no reels and standard symbols, but there’s an instant-jackpot bonus round that you can get.
Kentucky Land Based Casinos
There are currently no land-based casinos in Kentucky. Fortunately, several racing tracks offer slot machines and other electronic games. These include Churchill Downs, Keeneland, and Kentucky Downs.
Legal Online Gambling in Kentucky
After discussing the legal background behind online gambling sites Kentucky has to offer, I’ll now delve deeper and explain how different gaming platforms work in the state:
Daily Fantasy Sports
Many Kentucky sports betting apps and platforms approved by the KHRC like FanDuel offer legal daily fantasy sports (DFS) betting. All players who are 18 or over can legally place DFS picks and predictions on anything from local college sports and teams to major NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB events. For some, these may not be as fun as real money online gambling Kentucky websites. But you can still showcase your knowledge of sports, “draft” players, and win some great prizes if your team comes out on top at the end of the season.
Sports Betting
Sports wagering has been legal in KY since 2023, when the bill HB 551 was passed. The KHRC was appointed as the regulatory body, and it issues statewide licenses to major bookies like FanDuel and DraftKings.
To place a sports wager at online or retail sportsbooks in the state, Kentucky residents have to be at least 18 or over. To make things more engaging, local sportsbooks cover events popular in the area, including betting on the Kentucky Derby. Online sportsbooks looking to legally offer their services to locals need to have KHRC’s authorization. Having proper authorization ensures that right now you can safely be engaging in Kentucky Derby betting, but also placing bets on the NBA, the NFL, the NHL, and other tournaments.
Lottery
Lottery became the first gambling type to be approved in the state after the bill to regulate the lottery was passed back in 1989. The official KY Lottery website was launched in 2016 to offer various games. According to the state’s minimum legal gambling age, KY residents need to be 18 or older to visit and play. It seems that the lottery’s site was built specifically to resemble a Kentucky online casino site. It features dozens of “lottery games”, which are pretty close to slots in terms of design and layout. Still, instead of symbols and free spin bonuses, they feature an instant-win system with jackpots. If you’re a fan of classic lotteries, you can purchase Powerball, Mega Millions, and “Pick” 3 tickets and tick your lucky numbers.
Sweepstakes Casino Sites in Kentucky
Whole Kentucky online casinos using real money are currently outlawed, casino games can still be enjoyed through social and sweepstakes casinos. If you want to play slot games without fear of losing your funds, it’s best to pick trusted social casinos until laws change. All of these options are currently legal according to Kentucky online casino laws, as long as you meet the legal gambling age of 18 years old. These platforms work by offering virtual currencies rather than requiring direct monetary wagers. You can typically enjoy their games either with “Gold Coins” (or an equivalent name) for fun. Players can also use a secondary sweepstakes currency, often called “Sweeps Coins”, that can be redeemed for real money prizes.
These sites are allowed under the Kentucky sweepstakes law because they don’t involve direct real money gambling like traditional online casinos. Players can collect extra virtual coins in multiple ways. For example, via daily logins, mail-in offers, and social media promotions. You can play table games or take a spin on a slot without ever spending any real money. So sweepstakes casino sites do not conflict with the conventional definitions of gambling found in Kentucky’s statutes.
Pros
- No deposit needed
- Potential to redeem sweeps coins for real cash prizes
- Extensive libraries featuring slots and table games
- Legal online playing across most of the US, including KY
Cons
- Redemption can require ID verification, which may cause a delay
- Typically, fewer high-stakes options for big spenders
What are the Best Kentucky Sweepstakes Casinos?
I tested over 50 social and sweepstakes casinos available in KY. These five stood out for their game variety, smooth user experience, and generous promotional bonuses. Below, you’ll find key details about the top sweepstakes casinos in Kentucky, including what makes them worth trying and where they could improve.
At WOW Vegas, their library of 1000+ titles takes center stage. Players can enjoy hundreds of slots, tables, and even live dealer games, which is a rare offer for a sweepstakes platform. The site granted me 150,000 WOW Vegas Coins and 2 free Sweeps Coins as a welcome bonus. On days two and three, I was rewarded with a 50,000 WC and 1.5 SC daily bonus. This is a solid deal if you want more playtime.
WOW Vegas offers various banking options like Apple Pay and American Express, and the site itself loads smoothly. While there’s no dedicated mobile app, the site design is mobile-responsive, so you can spin the reels from practically any modern smartphone or tablet.
Pros
- 1000+ online casino games
- Generous welcome bonus of 150,000 Wow Vegas Coins and 2 SC
- Live dealer tables are available
Funrize has become my go-to when I’m on the move, mainly because it offers a polished mobile experience thanks to a dedicated app. At sign-up, you’ll get 125,000 Tournament Coins (Funrize’s version of GC) plus 300 Promotional Entries (which are SC) to use in sweeps games. Though the overall library is smaller at around 800+ casino-style games, there are enough slots, jackpots, and fish titles to keep me hooked. I also enjoyed their “Funrize Club” loyalty program, where you can win free spins and coins. I found Funrize’s redemption process straightforward, though you do need to complete an ID verification step to cash out.
Pros
- Regular special events and tournaments to win extra rewards (like virtual coins)
- Customer service is helpful (phone, live chat, and email options available)
- Dedicated app available
This online gambling platform uses two currencies: GC and Fortune Coins, which are their version of sweeps coins. New players get 100,000 Gold Coins and 200 Fortune Coins as a welcome bonus. Once I verified my phone number, I saw an additional 10,000 GC and 100 Fortune Coins in my balance.
There are more than 1200 fun casino-style games to try. At Fortune Coins, you can enjoy progressive jackpots and fish games — features I rarely see together at KY sweepstakes sites. I browsed through their jackpot sweepstakes games and saw that there’s a potential to win up to 8 million Fortune Coins. Also, I had fun with slot multipliers in games like Fire Stampede, where wins can multiply your stake by up to 800 times.
Pros
- Massive welcome bonus of 110,000 Gold Coins and 300 Fortune Coins once you verify your phone number
- Progressive jackpots available
- Helpful 24/7 customer service
Cons
- he redemption process can be slow
Zula offers over 1,500 casino-style games, from classic slots to fish tables. When I joined, I received a new user bonus of 120,000 Gold Coins plus 10 SC, which felt generous for a no-purchase-needed promotion. Just for logging in daily, you get 10,000 GC and one free Sweepstakes Coin. As someone active on social media, I enjoyed that Zula offers free coins (both GC and SC) on Facebook and Instagram via limited-time-only promos. Zula is similar to sites like WOW Vegas, as it doesn’t have a dedicated mobile app. Luckily, the web-based version is easy to use on smartphones. This legal online site also supports multiple payment methods like Visa, Mastercard, and Skrill.
Pros
- 1,500+ titles from 40+ providers like Pragmatic Play
- Strong welcome bonus of 120,000 Gold Coins and 10 sweeps
- Facebook and Instagram promos are available
Cons
- Some technical issues during the bonus spins
How to Choose a Sweepstakes Casino in Kentucky?
Sweepstakes casinos can vary based on game lobby size, promos, and things like mobile compatibility. Here are the key factors to consider when choosing one in Kentucky.
Are Online Casinos Legal in Kentucky?
No, Kentucky online casino sites still aren’t legalized in 2025. There were some previous attempts at legalizing casino platforms in the state before, but to no avail.
What Games to Play in Kentucky?
As mentioned, there aren’t many spots where you can win cash prizes by gambling online. Until we get safe and licensed Kentucky online casinos, chances are you won’t get to play many slots or live casino games. Still, there are some game types you might be able to play legally:
Instant play games
These are the closest things to online gambling in Kentucky you can find. Games like Pumpkin Plunder feature stunning graphics, wilds, expanding symbols, and scatter symbols for bonus rounds. With bet sizes from $0.10 to $20, these games offer tumbling mechanics and instant wins without being marketed as traditional slots.Bingo
You can join virtual bingo rooms, daub your cards, and compete for prizes. Various bingo variants are offered, from traditional 75-ball to fast-paced 30-ball games, which gives you plenty of options to enjoy this classic game.Keno
Pick your numbers and watch the draw in this lottery-style game. Keno is simple, fast-paced, and widely available in the state. Choose anywhere from 1 to 10 numbers and see how many match the drawn numbers for instant payouts.Lotteries
Traditional lottery games are available for online play in the state. Pick your lucky numbers and wait for the draw. KY Lottery offers various games where you can purchase tickets online and check your results instantly.
Comparing Kentucky’s Gambling Laws to Other States
The lack of online casinos in Kentucky isn’t really surprising when you look at the legal gambling map of the US. Here’s how the local laws and regulations stack up with some nearby states:
- Illinois. While it has some prominent land-based venues, Illinois still doesn’t have legal online casinos. As such, the state law is pretty similar to the one enforced in the Bluegrass State, with legal sports betting but no gaming websites.
- Indiana. The Hoosier State is among the states with the biggest horse betting audience, and while wagering of all sorts is legal, internet gambling still isn’t.
- West Virginia. WV is among the rare few states in the US with a completely regulated gambling market. All types of games, from slots to blackjack, table games, live dealer, and other options are available for players. The state’s appointed regulatory body is the WV Gambling Commission, and it oversees the enforcement of the latest laws and regulations.
- Tennessee. The State of Tennessee allows you to legally bet at platforms approved by the local government. Other than that, all other forms of gambling are strictly prohibited.
- Missouri. Missouri’s gaming rules are just as harsh as Kentucky online gambling laws. You can only play at social casinos or place sports wagers at legal MO bookies.
When to Expect Kentucky to Legalize Online Casinos?
The rules and laws on Kentucky online gambling sites are still largely undefined. In 2022, the Senate rejected a bill to regulate online poker and other casino games. In the meantime, betting and DFS became legal, which is the obvious first step towards legalization. The opening of the state’s first land-based casino might pave the way for the implementation of proper laws sometime soon. I’d also highlight the House Bill HB33, which was submitted for review in 2025. It’s supposed to result in licenses for more land-based and riverboat casinos, which is an important milestone in updating regulations as a whole. Following all these moves on the legal gaming scene, I’d say that there are a few years ahead of us before the state fully regulates casino sites. Hopefully, it will happen sooner rather than later.
Responsible Gambling
Knowing when to stop and draw the fine line is important, even before legal online casinos in Kentucky become a thing. Whether you’re betting on the Kentucky Derby or playing those instant-win lotteries I’ve mentioned before, knowing your limits is crucial. That’s why, if you are one of the Kentucky residents and you start having a gambling problem, you can use readily available resources at websites like GamblersAnonymous and BeGambleAware for help. You can also dial the official hotline of the National Council on Problem Gambling at 1-800-522-4700 to get localized materials and resources for help. On that note, I encourage you to explore the available gaming options in KY responsibly. Make sure you’re only playing for fun, since being in it for long-term profit is unsustainable and only leads to problem gambling.
