It has been a long time coming, and it is almost here.
Ever since Gov. Andy Beshear signed House Bill 551 into law, sports fans in Kentucky have been eagerly awaiting the launch of legal sports betting.
As of 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, Sept. 7 – a week from today – wagering opens at licensed retail sportsbooks, with mobile/online to follow on Sept. 28.
For you Kentuckians ready to place your first bets on your mobile devices, Sept. 28 may feel like a long way away.
But in addition to being able to bet in-person, you can get ready for the online launch by pre-registering with one of the mobile sportsbook apps opening for business on Sept. 28 and taking advantage of their generous welcome offers.
Here we list the best deals in the state, and we get into more detail below.
Welcome to the party, Kentucky! You'll enjoy betting on college football and NFL games as much as the rest of us do.
So, let's talk about the week in sports betting!
College Football Week 1
Technically, the college football season kicked off last weekend, Week 0, with seven games on Saturday. But this weekend is the real deal. I'm talking about a handful of games tonight, followed by a few more tomorrow, a jam-packed Saturday, three more tilts on Sunday, and even a Monday night game featuring Clemson at Duke.
Here are some of our game previews to help you prepare for the action:
Nebraska vs. Minnesota Odds & Prediction: Rhule Era Begins Tonight for Cornhuskers
Florida vs. Utah Odds & Prediction: Are the Utes on Upset Watch Thursday Night?
Colorado vs. TCU Odds & Prediction: Sharp Bettors Not Buying the Buffs
South Alabama vs. Tulane Odds & Prediction: Green Wave Worthy of Spread Bet at Home
If you are like me and a big fan of futures, you'll want to check out these pages, too:
Conference Championships: SEC odds, Big 10 odds, Pac 12 odds, ACC odds, Big 12 odds
UFC
Next to golfers and race car drivers, I don't think there is a busier group of athletes as a whole than UFC/MMA fighters. As individuals, they may only fight a few times a year, but a weekend rarely goes by without an event being held somewhere in the world. This week, it's in Paris and features French fighter Ciryl Gane taking on Sergey Spivak in the main event.
For those of you who like to look ahead, Gage Miskimen has you covered with a preview of the UFC 293 odds, which is next weekend in Australia.
NFL Week 1
I don't mind preseason games, but I can't wait for the regular season to start next week. We'll prepare previews for several games in the days ahead, but if you want to see the lines for every Week 1 game, check out our NFL odds page.
Last week, I talked about several of the futures markets available to bettors, and I want to touch on them again here briefly. I understand if you do not like betting on a team to win before you see them play. But if you want to maximize the value many teams have, now is the time to get those bets in.
Want a few ideas? Dave Bontempo talked to Johnny Avello from DraftKings and got some insight as to how people are betting on specific markets:
Elsewhere in the Wide World of Sports Betting
Folks in my native state of Texas will never admit it, but there is more to life than football. The baseball season is getting closer to the playoffs, and there is always a soccer game somewhere.
Want to bet on tonight's home run and strikeout props? You'll want to click on these articles:
On the soccer front, Victor Araiza is covering Lionel Messi as he rolls through the US with Inter Miami, and Tyler Everett has you covered for Friday's Roma-AC Milan match featuring American star Christian Pulisic.
This Week On The Sports Betting Legal/Business Landscape…
Kentucky’s upcoming launch is the news dominating the industry. As I mentioned in the intro, there is no need to wait to sign up with a sportsbook. Register before they launch and claim the generous promo.
Kentucky FanDuel Promo Code: $100 in Bonus Bets + $100 Off NFL Sunday Ticket
Bet365 Kentucky Bonus Code & Registration Details: Claim $365-Plus in Promos
DraftKings Kentucky Promo Code: Claim $200 in Bonus Bets for Launch
What will you be able to bet on? Officials have approved an event catalog, but one popular sport is missing from it — pickleball.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear will place the first bet next week at the Churchill Downs Racetrack, and Brant James handicaps what that wager might be.
Sportsbook Promotions: Aug. 31, 2023
These are the same promos as last week, but with college football and the NFL getting underway, it is a great time to join a new sportsbook or two and take advantage of these promo offers:
bet365: Bet $1 & get $200 in bonus bets, whether your bet wins or loses.
FanDuel: Bet $5+, get $200 in bonus bets and $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket
DraftKings: Place a bet of $5+ and get $200 in bonus bets instantly.
Caesars: Make your first deposit and bet $50 to get $250 (five $50 bets a week for five weeks)!
PointsBet: Up to $1,000 in second chance bets! Place a bet of up to $100 a day for ten days, and receive your stake back up to $100 if you lose the bet.
Terms and conditions apply. Check out our promo page for the best sign-up offers sportsbook apps have to offer.
One More Thing…
Many of you will focus on the NFL and college football, but you may be missing out on a great opportunity by ignoring the CFL. I know the first reaction you probably have at the thought, "but I don't know a thing about the CFL."
To that, I say two things: that's what the internet is for, and it is easy to see who the best teams are. Winnipeg is the team to beat, but the Blue Bombers often underperform against the number (6-5 ATS); they face a Saskatchewan team this week fighting to hold onto a spot in the playoffs.
Then there's the team with the second-best record in the CFL, the BC Lions. They are riding a two-game losing streak and facing a Montreal Alouettes squad trying to stay in the playoff picture. The Als were thumped last week by Winnipeg and have primarily beaten poor teams, but if they bring their "A" game and BC does not, this is a winnable game.
That's it for this edition of the Gaming Today Playbook. I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much or more as I have enjoyed writing it.
You can reach me via email at travis.pulver@catenamedia.com or via Twitter at @FatManWriting.
Bet wisely, my friends.
Travis Pulver, Sports Betting Writer