It’s a few minutes before 10 a.m., when The Red Mile’s sports book will take its first bet. Republican State Representative Mike Meredith steps up to a podium in the historic harness track’s gleaming new sports betting area.
“This is the day that we finally get to see legal and safe sports betting in the Commonwealth; something we've waited a long time. And we get to see dollars that are being contributed to this marketplace not leaving our state anymore to support Indiana and Ohio and Illinois and Tennessee. But to support the programs here in our state.”
Meredith says those include the cost of regulating the new industry, helping problem gamblers, and supporting state pension funds. Meredith was the lead sponsor of House Bill 551, the bill that legalized sports betting and was signed into law in March by Democratic Governor Andy Beshear. It’s perhaps Beshear whom Republican Senator Damon Thayer has in mind when he speaks.
“They say that victory has 1,000 fathers and failure is an orphan. And certainly, the success of sports betting can be attributable to a lot of people. But I want to make one thing clear here this morning. This is and has been a legislatively driven initiative.”
Moments later, Thayer turns around and places the first bet.
“It's 10 o'clock, here we go. Everybody ready? Bryce? I'd like to bet $20 on the Cincinnati Bengals, to win the Super Bowl.”
“Alrighty, 20 dollars.”
“Yeah, thank you very much you. And if the Bengals win the Super Bowl, I will get $220.”
Earlier, Meredith had called former state Representative Adam Koenig, of northern Kentucky, also a Republican, the Godfather of sports betting. Koenig took the lead in the House after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a law outlawing sports betting in 2018 and set the stage for states to decide themselves. He lost last year’s primary, but says the state won by legalizing sports betting at nine sites.
“I'm just excited it's done. And that people in Kentucky get to do what so many other states have been able to do for several years now. You know, I think it's it's good policy. People like to campaign on freedom. This is actual freedom, getting government out of the way and and not telling people what they can and can't do.”
(Part 2)
A few minutes later, an employee pitches the Caesars sports betting app to Drew Parker of Versailles, who’s waiting in line to bet at a self-serve kiosk.
Online betting begins September 28th.
“Pretty easy sales pitch, pretty easy sales pitch to get on and do some online betting.
“You gonna do the app also?”
“Absolutely. Absolutely.”
The Red Mile opened in 1875 – the same year as Churchill Downs, another old track with a new tradition. Beshear made the first sports bet at Churchill that morning – a few minutes before Thayer made his -- and the Governor arrives at The Red Mile early afternoon.
“This facility is going to supercharge our tourism, a tourism that that had the greatest economic impact in our history last year. And now we're not going to have people traveling to Las Vegas the first rounds of that NCAA tournament, they're going to be bringing their dollars right here to Lexington.”
After four minutes of remarks, Beshear walks to the sports book betting counter and places a wager that will probably go over well with the voters of Kentucky.
“For my second sports betting ever on the day, I'd like to put $20 on the University Kentucky men's basketball team to win the national championship.”
“Yes sir, thank you very much.”
Beshear thanks the ticket writer and says if he wins, he’ll take the First Lady to dinner, adding later, he’ll take her to dinner anyway. Then he takes a few questions from the press, including one that allows a nod to the bipartisanship that helped Kentucky become the 38th state to legalize sports betting.
“It took a Republican supermajority, having some of their members join Democrats, a Democratic governor happy to sign it because it's what people want. I mean my job isn’t to move the state to the right or the left, but to move it forward for all of our families.”
As she leaves, Democratic State Representative Ruth Ann Palumbo of Lexington, who also bet on U-K to win the national championship, says she’s got a challenge ahead:
“I can't lose my ticket. I have to keep the ticket.”
“Got a safe place at home to put it?”
“I’ll find one.”
I’m John McGary, at The Red Mile, in Lexington.
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