Table of Contents
Kentucky Online Casinos – Legal in 2024?
-
Shawn West
- July 11, 2024
From the drama of slot machines to the dead-eyed cool of a poker table, you can get all the excitement and action you’ll find at land-based casinos on your computer, phone or tablet. Sports betting sites offer Kentuckians the chance to play roulette, blackjack, baccarat or any number of other table games—either video versions or live games with links to actual dealer tables.
Despite retail and online sports betting launching back in September 2023, other forms of gambling are still not available.
That’s why our panel of experts has looked at dozens of offshore sportsbooks to help put together this guide to online casino gambling in Kentucky. We can help you get started playing online casino games for real cash, at sites that also feature online sports betting and other online gambling options.
After reviewing the online casino options on a number of important factors, our experts compiled their rankings of the top 10 real money online casinos in Kentucky for 2024. To explain the method behind our ratings, we also put together in-depth reviews of the offshore casinos at these online betting sites on the list to explain the pros and cons that helped lead to their spot in the top 10. We’ll also look at the current state of online gambling laws in Kentucky, how likely they are to change, and when that will happen if it does.
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SPORTSBOOK
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ONLINE SINCE
1996
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Expert Review
Read Review
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BONUS
$500 Cash Bonus
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CLAIM BONUS
CLAIM BONUS
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SPORTSBOOK
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TRUST SCORE
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ONLINE SINCE
2001
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Expert Review
Read Review
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BONUS
20% Cash Bonus
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CLAIM BONUS
CLAIM BONUS
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SPORTSBOOK
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TRUST SCORE
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ONLINE SINCE
2002
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Expert Review
Read Review
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BONUS
30% Cash Bonus
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CLAIM BONUS
CLAIM BONUS
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|
SPORTSBOOK
|
TRUST SCORE
|
ONLINE SINCE
2001
|
Expert Review
Read Review
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BONUS
$250 Free Bet
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CLAIM BONUS
CLAIM BONUS
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|
SPORTSBOOK
|
TRUST SCORE
|
ONLINE SINCE
1996
|
Expert Review
Read Review
|
BONUS
100% Cash Bonus
|
CLAIM BONUS
CLAIM BONUS
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|
SPORTSBOOK
|
TRUST SCORE
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ONLINE SINCE
2011
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Expert Review
Read Review
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BONUS
$750 Cash Bonus
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CLAIM BONUS
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Table of Contents
Best Kentucky Online Casino Sites 2024
After looking at more than 100 offshore sportsbooks and casinos that are available to Kentucky players, these were the ones that scored the best on the factors our panel of gambling experts considered important.
- BookMaker – Best all-around online casino experience in Kentucky
- Heritage Sports – Best spot for new bettors in KY to get started
- Bovada – The top mobile platform in the state
- BetOnline – Best variety of casino games
- BetAnySports – Hundreds of casino games and variations available
- JustBet – Caters to Kentucky gamblers of all kinds
- BetUS – Cash in with the biggest bonuses in Kentucky
- WagerWeb – The player’s choice for rebates
- Everygame – Longest-running and most-dependable online casino
- SportsBetting.ag – Great user experience for Kentucky casino players
Can you play at online casinos in Kentucky?
As it currently stands, online casinos are not legally operational within the state of Kentucky. The landscape of online gambling laws is always evolving, with online sports betting in Kentucky recently becoming legal, so it’s possible that Kentucky may revise its stance on online casinos in the future. For now, though, the law remains firm – no online casinos within Kentucky’s borders.
However, there’s an alternative for those interested in online casino gaming. Offshore casinos, which operate outside the jurisdiction of U.S. state and federal laws, are accessible to players in Kentucky. Since these offshore casinos are not controlled by U.S. law, Kentucky players can legally access them.
The Best Kentucky Online Casino Reviews
Here is a detailed look at our choices for the 10 best offshore sites offering online casino games in the state of Kentucky, including pro and con lists for each one.
1. Top Overall Online Casino in KY: BookMaker
Key Features
- Has high limits and low minimums
- Welcome bonuses can be used in casino
According to our esteemed group of gambling experts, Bookmaker.eu is the best all-around online casino in Kentucky. Other sites may have more variations of slots and other popular games, but BookMaker offers a wide variety of different casino games that should allow any gambler to find what they want to play. They have RTP slots and table games, including blackjack, three-card poker, craps, roulette and Pai Gow. There’s also a section that offers games like bingo and keno, and BookMaker also has a free casino that players can use to get up to speed on the ins and outs of the different games before they start playing for free.
The free casino is just one example of the commitment BookMaker has made to cater to the needs of all levels of gamblers. It has an easy-to-use interface that allows new bettors to easily find their way around, and, in addition to the free casino, they offer low minimum bets–$1 at some tables—to ease newcomers into things.
But they also cater to high rollers and professionals with high limits in the casino, as well as the sportsbook and racebook. And it’s known for never shutting down a gambler who gets on a roll, a frustrating tactic some casinos use. BookMaker also has sign-up bonuses that can reach a maximum of $500, and that money can be used in the casino. Reload bonuses can go as high as $2,500.
Everyone is automatically enrolled in their points program, and it’s designed so that all customers can earn rewards with their points system, not just the big spenders. And cash bonuses from the points program come with no rollover requirements attached.
2. Best for New Bettors in KY: Heritage Sports
Key Features
- Cash back rebate with no rollover applies to casino activity
- Many different slot and video poker titles
Heritage Sports is the No. 2 site in our rankings of the top online casinos in Kentucky. In its earliest days, Heritage Sports was an invite-only site. It has now made itself available to all customers, but it still acts like a gambling spot for the elites, giving all its customers the red carpet treatment.
Heritage Sports is also our top choice as the best site for brand-new casino gamblers, thanks to a user interface that is clean, uncluttered and easy to navigate. Some sites are crowded with menus and options, making it tough to find what you want if you’re not familiar with how online casinos work. On Heritage Sports, the menus make common sense, and users can easily find what they need quickly. It’s also just as easy to use on your mobile device, thanks to an optimized mobile platform.
They have a sportsbook that is one of the best in the state. It’s known for its reduced juice odds. It also has an extensive racebook, but the online casino is what earned it a spot in our top 10.
Slots are their specialty. Heritage Sports offers classic 3-reel, 1-line slots, modern 5-reel, 9-line games and even 3D games. There are also 27 different versions of online video poker. Other table games include blackjack, roulette and baccarat, and there’s a live dealer casino.
Their popular cash rebate program also applies to casino activity. And the cash-back awards come with no rollover requirements attached.
3. Best Mobile Platform in KY: Bovada
Key Features
- Best mobile interface in Kentucky
- Large menu of casino games available, including 100 slots, 200 table games
More gamblers are placing bets on mobile devices than on their computers. But, for some reason, creating a mobile platform for customers to use on their phones or tablets seems to be an afterthought to many online casino sites. They just make a boiled-down version of their full site, taking off a few menus and features so everything fits, without much thought into what looks or works best on a device.
Bovada is one of the exceptions and is the choice of our panel of experts as the best mobile platform in Kentucky. Bovada set out to create a mobile site that gives the same look, feel and gambling experience as the main site. It takes just a few clicks to put your money down, enter of one of Bovada’s promo codes and start playing. Everything sitewide is stylish and smooth running.
Bovada’s casino, like its sportsbook, believes in giving variety to its customers. There are more sports betting options at Bovada than at any other sportsbook in Kentucky, and there are also a huge number of casino titles. There are 100 different versions of slot machine games and over 200 table games.
The slots are divided into different sections for video slots, 3D slots, progressive games, 3-reel and 5-reel games, among other categories. For table games, they offer blackjack, several versions of roulette, as well as baccarat and deep-cut titles like Andar Bahar, Teen Patti Rapid and Roll the Dice. Did we mention they own the busiest poker room in America? And they also have a live dealer casino with 30 different options and bet limits that range from $5 to $2,500.
4. Best Variety of Casino Games: BetOnline
Key Features
- Biggest variety of casino games in Kentucky
- Offers games from the seven biggest software manufacturers
- Two separate live dealer casinos
It’s nice to have options, and BetOnline gives you more choices than any other online casino in Kentucky. It offers more games than any other site in the state. The BetOnline casino has 380 video slot games alone, and it includes slot games from the top seven software companies, giving a broad diversity not just in slot titles but in manufacturers as well. The games are organized well, with special sections for the most popular games and for the newest games, to keep you from having to spend a lot of time searching around. They also feature progressive slots and high RTP games, as well as a slot game exclusive to BetOnline called Buffalo Bounty.
They don’t stop with the slots, though. There are also more than 50 different table games, including 18 variations of blackjack, which go up to $10,000 per hand. They also offer poker, craps, baccarat and rarely-seen games like 3-card rummy and multi-hand casino war.
If you want some live human interaction, BetOnline offers a pair of live dealer casinos, called the Red and Black casinos. The Red casino features blackjack, roulette, baccarat and Super 6. Table limits range from 50-cent stakes up to $12,500. The Black casino has baccarat, roulette, blackjack and Hold’em. BetOnline also has a poker room, a top-quality sportsbook and more.
Their welcome bonus is 100 free spins across 10 mystery games. There’s also a 10% weekly rebate program for casino activity and a casino game of the week promotion that pays $500 bonuses. The promo codes at BetOnline can also be used to unlock additional exclusive perks.
5. Hundreds of Casino Games Available: BetAnySports
Key Features
- Casino games available across more than a half dozen separate platforms
- Three separate live dealer casinos
BetAnySports was already sitting in fifth place in our ranking of the best online casinos in Kentucky, but they received more good news when our reviewers decided to bump their grade up to an A+. It wasn’t a big bump, since the online gambling site already had an A, but they’re now one of the elite few sites in Kentucky with the maximum grade.
BetAnySports has a high-quality sportsbook that is best known for reduced juice lines and favorable odds. Its low house edge makes it the best value for Kentucky sports bettors. There are also a variety of BetAnySports promos that can boost your value even more.
But it’s not limited to sports betting. BetAnySports also has several different casinos, all under one online roof. The site offers 3D Casino, Classic Casino, Diamond Casino, Fortune Casino, Horizon Casino and Star Casino, and each different casino offers its own menu of casino game titles, meaning there are literally hundreds of games to choose from across all the platforms. There are also three separate live dealer sections: Lucky Dealer Live, Euro Live and Vegas Live.
The mobile site has all the functionality of the main site, making it easy to play casino games on your mobile device.
Top Real Money Online Casinos for Kentucky: Comparison
Our team of experts looked at several different aspects of each online casino in determining our rankings. The different ranking factors our team took into account included:
- Menu of casino games available
- Quality of software running the games
- How easy the site was to navigate
- Size of betting limits
- Bonuses and other promotions
- Site reputation and security
- Customer service
How to Compare the Best Kentucky Online Casinos
Here’s a detailed look at the different categories we evaluated in compiling our rankings.
Range of Games
Most popular casino games can be placed into one of a few different categories: slots, variations of poker, table games, and specialty games. Each category includes a wide range of games, and each game has multiple variations and playing options. Some of the most popular games are
- Online slots: Video slots, 3D slots, three and five-reel slots, progressive jackpots
- Poker: Virtual table poker and video poker, variations of each include Hold Em, Stud and Caribbean Stud
- Table games: Blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat
- Live dealer games: Table games, poker
- Specialty games: Keno, bingo
- Virtual Sports
Software
There are a few well-known software developers that create most of the casino games offered at online betting sites. The companies have different levels of expertise, and the quality of their software can differ from company to company. You may not recognize the name of a manufacturer or know its reputation, but it affects your casino experience.
Your favorite games should feature smooth-flowing play, with no glitches or delays. Some games include high-quality and stylish graphics, while others are more bare-bones. Sites should offer games from the top manufacturers and should have a diverse selection of companies represented to give players variety.
Betting Limits
Most online casinos in Kentucky have table limits as low as a dollar, and some go even lower—to 50 cents or a quarter. And if you’re not familiar with a game, many sites have a free casino, so you can practice playing games without risking any money.
The maximum bet amount also can differ greatly from table to table and site to site. The lowest is about $250, and limits can go up to $5,000 at some offshore sportsbooks. Some high-roller tables even offer five-figure jackpots. The best sites offer many different levels of limits, so you can choose a table that fits your appetite for risk.
VIP Tables
Some online casinos offer VIP tables, which reserve seats for their best customers. That allows big spenders to always have a seat available and lets them play with other gamblers they’re familiar and comfortable with. It’s a non-monetary bonus that sites will provide to retain their best customers.
Bonuses
Most online casinos offer several different types of bonuses, both for new customers and customers already on the books. Some popular types of bonuses include:
- Sign-up bonus: Also known as a welcome bonus. This is the most popular type of bonus offered. It’s a one-time deal, offered to new users at the time they sign up. Usually, the site will match a portion of your initial deposit, which could be part of the amount you deposit or it could give you a bonus bigger than the amount of your own money that you put in. Some sites also do a deposit match on repeating deposits.
- Free plays: Sometimes called bet insurance or a risk-free bet. If you lose, the site refunds your stake. If you win, you get to keep the winnings, just like a normal bet. In casinos, these can come in the form of free spin offers.
- Reload bonus: Similar to a sign-up bonus but it’s given to existing customers. You get the bonus when you make another deposit or “reload” your account with more money.
- Promotions: These can be any number of different offers to current customers to retain them and keep them active. They include weekly bonuses, contests, profit boosts or other incentives.
- Loyalty program: Usually points-based, with points awarded based on your activity on the site. You can then redeem the points to earn bonuses or other perks.
- Rebate and cashback: The site refunds back some of what you spent gambling.
Mobile Experience
A huge and ever-growing percentage of casino gambling is done on smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices, not on a laptop or desktop computer. So every online casino site offers some type of mobile-optimized interface. The best casino sites offer a mobile site with the same functionality as the original site.
The mobile platform should be easy to read and navigate, despite a smaller screen. Pages should load quickly and not crash. The site should be responsive, allowing you to bet and play without delays. Many casinos offer dedicated apps you can download for your mobile device. Others have a mobile-optimized site available through your device’s internet browser.
What games can you play with real money at online casinos in Kentucky?
Just like in a physical casino, online casinos offer a huge selection of different games. Some of the most popular games are blackjack, roulette, craps and baccarat. Each game has dozens of different variations, playing rules and styles, and most online betting sites offer both video versions of the games, as well as live dealer versions.
Slots
This is usually the first game you see when you walk into a casino. It’s a game of chance where players spin a wheel labeled with random symbols and try to match symbols to win cash. The old-fashioned classic slots have three wheels with identical symbols (usually pictures of fruit), and you win if all three wheels show matching symbols. The game has evolved over the years and games now have more wheels, 3D versions and hundreds of other variations.
Blackjack
The most widely played table game in the world. You try to get as close to a point total (usually 21) as you can, either with the cards in your hand or by adding more cards to your hand, known as hitting. There may be multiple players in a given game, but essentially, you are competing against the dealer to try to hit the best point total without going over.
Roulette
This game of chance requires you to predict where a ball will land on a spinning wheel. The wheel has a large number of landing spots, labeled with numbers and colors. Players can put money on individual numbers, number ranges, categories like odds or even, high/low numbers or even the color of the landing space.
Baccarat
Baccarat is a casino table game, often preferred by high rollers. The player and dealer match hands, with the cards assigned various point values. It has some similarities to blackjack. Up to 14 other players are also at the table but don’t get cards. They place bets on whether the player’s or dealer’s hand will be the better one. This is frequently one of the many live dealer games you can find at offshore casinos.
Live Casino
A live casino gets you closer to a physical casino experience. Actual human dealers and actual decks of cards are used, through a video feed. This is different from the video versions of games, which use random number generators and computer images of cards. Players can interact with the dealer and other players at the table. Popular live dealer games at offshore sites include blackjack, roulette and baccarat.
Payment Methods Available at Kentucky Online Casinos
The top casino sites in Kentucky offer several different banking methods, both for funding your account and for getting paid, when you withdraw your money.
Crypto at Casinos
Our 10 best casino sites in Kentucky are all located offshore. That means that financial transactions require money to cross from the United States to the casino’s home country and back. That can add levels of difficulty and inconvenience to some payment methods.
Bank credit cards and debit cards, for instance, may be charged fees, or there may be delays in the payment clearing. Cryptocurrency is designed to easily flow across national borders. Some popular crypto payment methods include Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum and Tether. Some casinos give bonuses or special incentives for customers to use crypto.
eWallets at Casinos
eWallets are almost as popular as crypto. Transactions clear faster than bank cards, and fees are lower. Popular eWallets include PayPal, Neteller and Skrill.
Traditional Payment Methods
Online casinos also accept traditional payment methods like bank transfers or debit/credit cards like Visa, American Express, MasterCard or Amex. These transactions aren’t as fast. There also may be fees levied for using them.
Land-Based Casinos in Kentucky
The gambling laws in Kentucky are extremely strict, with one of the only legal forms of gambling being horse race betting. It is legal to bet in person on horse races only, at the state’s racetracks and off-track betting parlors. The major tracks in Kentucky are:
- Churchill Downs, Louisville
- Keeneland, Lexington
- Kentucky Downs, Franklin
- Ellis Park, Henderson
- Turfway Park, Florence
Tracks can also offer versions of slot machines. While actual slots are prohibited by state law, the version of the machine in Kentucky requires you to physically interact with the machine to match one of the symbols yourself. This makes it a game of skill, instead of a game that involves an element of chance. These machines aren’t permitted anywhere else except the state’s tracks. There are no true brick-and-mortar casinos in the state.
Tribal Casinos in Kentucky
Around the country, there are more than 500 casinos that offer legal gambling on Native American land, which, like offshore sportsbooks, is not under the jurisdiction of state or federal laws. However, none of these tribal casinos are located in Kentucky. Your only option for in-person gambling is pari-mutuel betting on horse races, so there really isn’t a huge range of choices.
How to Play at Real Money Online Casinos From Kentucky
Online betting sites have a very simple process to open an account and get started. Here’s how the process works. From start to finish, it takes about two minutes.
Step 1: Create an Account
Go to the website of the casino you’ve decided to play and click “Sign Up.” Create a username and password. Fill out the registration form with the personal information requested.
Step 2: Verify Your Identity
Some sites require new customers to verify their identities. It may involve a two-step process of sending a code to your phone.
Step 3: Deposit Funds
After your account is created, you need to deposit money in order to play. Choose your preferred payment method from the list provided. Enter the information and be sure to include any required code to qualify for your welcome bonus. Many deposit bonuses will require a minimum deposit, so make sure you meet the minimum deposit if you’re claiming a promotional offer.
Step 4: Start Playing
That’s all there is. You can now begin playing and win some money. Choose your favorite from the range of casino games available and click “Play Now.” Good luck!
FAQs – Online Casinos in Kentucky 2024
Are online casinos legal in Kentucky?
You will not find any online casinos that are native to Kentucky. Currently, the state is still trying to pass a bill that would legalize multiple forms of gambling. In the meantime, Kentuckian bettors can choose from multiple offshore online casinos.
What is the best online casino in Kentucky?
Due to the variety of games, its efficient interface and stellar customer experience, our team recommends BookMaker as the best online casino in Kentucky.
Does Kentucky have tribal casinos?
Kentucky does not have any tribal casinos at this time, but its neighboring state of Indiana has several. If you want to play your favorite games at a tribal casino, you will need to take a road trip.
Is mobile gambling illegal in Kentucky?
The only form of mobile gambling that is permitted in Kentucky is horse betting. However, residents of the state can still legally gamble with an offshore betting provider.
Are there any casino apps in Kentucky?
There are no casino apps in Kentucky, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use a casino app if you live in the state. Many offshore casinos offer betting services to Kentucky residents like BookMaker, Heritage Sports and more from our ranking.
