Lawmakers push for sports betting in Kentucky

A bi-partisan coalition of Kentucky lawmakers is trying to push sports betting into the congressional agenda after PASPA’s repeal.

US.- The Supreme Court of the United States revoked the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) and opened up a sports betting legislation spree across the country. Kentucky jumped on the bandwagon as a bi-partisan coalition of legislators has begun pushing to legalise sports betting in the state beyond horse racing.

Republican Rep. Jason Nemes said that he believes the state “ought not to be involved in how I spend my entertainment dollars,” and added: “I don’t think it can pass with either party standing alone. We need to come together to get this thing passed, and I think we will.”

Rep. Nemes is part of the nine-lawmaker panel created to push for the segment’s regulation next to: John Sims (D-Flemingsburg), Diane St. Onge (R-Fort Wright), Kim Moser (R-Taylor Mill), George Brown (D-Lexington) and Dean Schamore (D-Hardinsburg) and three Senators; Julie Raque Adams (R-Louisville), McGarvey and Julian Carroll (D-Frankfort).

“We have to act on it quickly,” said Sen. Morgan McGarvey, who stated that Kentucky’s authorities “cannot put our heads in the sand and be the last state to do this” and added: “I think we need to get in front of this and set up the responsible framework here, because the rest of the country is already doing it.”