DraftKings Partners With Corbin Racetrack For Kentucky Market Access

DraftKings Sportsbook plans to launch in Kentucky through a new agreement with Corbin Racetrack. DK now joins the likes of Caesars Sportsbook, FanDuel, and BetMGM which all already have partnerships with local Kentucky operators.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission will vote on sports betting applications later today. This deal allows DK to earn one of those licenses and launch sports betting in Kentucky.

DraftKings Meets Kentucky

DraftKings and Corbin are also set to open retail sportsbooks at Corbin properties. Retail sportsbooks will launch in Kentucky on Sept. 7, with online slated for a Sept. 28 launch.

“Together with the Corbin properties, we’re excited to bring our premier sports betting experience to yet another state and its sports fans,” said Matt Kalish, president of DraftKings North America. “We want to thank the Kentucky General Assembly for passing legislation and Governor Andy Beshear for his support of sports wagering as we look forward to launching our sportsbook product during a busy football season, pending licensure and regulatory approvals.”

The DraftKings Kentucky launch is predicated on the pending license application. If approved, DK will be able to offer odds to all legal-age Kentucky residents. DraftKings is one of seven operators that have applied for betting licenses in the Blue Grass State.

Additionally, DK is only the fourth sportsbook to announce a partnership with a local Kentucky racetrack. Corbin Raceways joins Churchill Downs (FanDuel), Keeneland and Red Mile (Caesars), and Revolutionary Racing (BetMGM) as racetracks to claim sportsbook partnerships.

“The Corbin properties are truly excited to work with DraftKings, one of the country’s leading sportsbook operators. This will be a great relationship for both companies,” said Marc Falcone, the co-managing partner along with Ron Winchell for ECL Corbin, LLC.

Kentucky Sports Betting Timeline

Kentucky lawmakers are working to meet the tight launch window. This DraftKings announcement, however, shows that sportsbooks are preparing for the big launch. DK and others will likely gain their licenses following today’s meeting.

After that, the pre-registration for Kentucky sportsbooks will commence on Aug. 28, one month before the mobile launch. Operators will only have six days to be ready for pre-registration.

As the commission meets to review applications, fans can expect to see more Kentucky racetrack partnerships announced. Kentucky is in the home stretch for online sports betting.