Kentucky Lawmakers Override Veto and Raise Betting Age to 21

Kentucky has changed its sports betting rules after lawmakers overturned a veto from Gov. Andy Beshear. The new law raises the betting age and adds limits on prediction market activity.

Good to Know

• Kentucky will raise the sports betting age from 18 to 21 in 90 days.
• HB 904 also blocks sportsbook ties to prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket.
• Player props on in state college teams will no longer be allowed.

Kentucky Overrides Veto and Reshapes Betting Rules

Kentucky lawmakers overrode a veto from Gov. Andy Beshear and pushed HB 904 into law, lifting the legal sports betting age to 21 from 18. The new rule will apply in 90 days across all nine online sportsbooks and retail betting locations in the state. Horse race betting stays at 18.

The General Assembly passed the bill earlier this month and returned to it after Beshear rejected it on Monday. The House voted 67 to 7 to override, and the Senate followed on Tuesday before the session closed.

Beshear objected to the bill because it lets Kentucky gaming and horse racing regulators file emergency and ordinary administrative regulations without review and signature from the governor.

The law does more than raise the age. It also blocks sports betting, fantasy sports, and horse racing operators from offering prediction markets or partnering with trading platforms such as Kalshi or Polymarket. DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics all run sportsbooks in Kentucky and also launched prediction market platforms in late 2025. Even so, none of those groups are offering prediction markets in states where they also run sportsbooks.

HB 904 also bans player props tied to in state college teams, including markets such as points and touchdowns. Daily fantasy operators such as Underdog and PrizePicks will now need a license to offer contests in Kentucky. On the horse racing side, operators can now offer fixed odds wagering alongside pari mutuel betting.