Kentucky Sports Betting’s Passage Due to Stivers’ Vote, GOP Floor Leader Thayer Says

After the KY General Assembly ended its 2023 session on Mar 30, proponents for the sports betting legalization measure that passed gathered for a solemnisation at Serafini, an Italian eating place inwards Downtown Frankfort.

It was a two-party celebration, said nation Rep. Michael Meredith, R-Oakland. Meredith was the primary quill patronise of House Bill 551, the eyeshade that would get Kentucky the 37th state to set aside the wagering opportunity. group A ring was made to former commonwealth Rep. Adam Koenig, who had shepherded the previous attempts in the general assembly – including its first off passage inwards the res publica House shoemaker's last year – before losing in a primary quill last May.

“Everybody was pretty excited,” Meredith told Casino.org last week. “It was a win because of pentad years of work, but it was also a win because we were right at the in conclusion minute, and the nighttime before, we didn’t cognise we were going to receive there. But we did.”

‘Dead inward the Water’

Just 24 hours earlier, as the Senate wrapped upwardly its first of the II post-veto full stop years that close the 30-day session, it did so a dyad of hours earlier than most had expected. Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, seemed frustrated as he answered questions from reporters about sports betting and a Federal Reserve note that would bit by bit eliminate the inventorying task on bourbon and other distilled spirits as they age in storage.

For sports betting proponents, it appeared the billhook would die inwards the Senate for the secondly unbowed year. As of Mar 29, Thayer said they requisite two votes to acquire to the 23-vote threshold they requisite to succeed.

I thought sports betting and the bourbon barrelful tax government issue were both deadened inward the H2O Midweek night,” Thayer told Casino.org in conclusion week. “I wanted to stress to get them both done and not allow them string up over another night. But it’s ever darkest before the daybreak and things changed the next morning.”

That commute was Senate President Henry M. Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, notification Thayer and Majority Caucus Chair Julie Raque Adams, R-Louisville, he would ballot yes on the sports betting bill. Previously, Stivers had been skeptical nigh sports betting’s impact, noting the millions inwards tax revenue it would generate would be minimal in relation to the multi-billion-dollar say budget.

While Stivers became only the 22nd yes on HB 551, according to Senate Republicans tallies, the fact that he came on room helped significantly as the account passed later that 24-hour interval by a 25-12 vote. While the Senate had 37 sitting members, HB 551 requisite 23 yes votes inward this session because the KY Old Ironsides requires any revenue-raising Federal Reserve note proposed in a non-budget session to demand a three-fifths legal age to pass.

“It was so a seminal instant for sports betting,” Thayer said.

Stivers Dismisses Report About Meeting

Last week, Gene McLean, a longtime KY sportswriter who operates The Pressbox blog on thoroughbred racing, reported that Stivers had a conversation with Joe Craft, a powerful KY man of affairs whose wife is currently running for the Republican gubernatorial nomination inward next month’s primary, and that utter led to the sports betting bill’s passage.

Through a spokesperson, Stivers issued a statement to Casino.org refuting that claim.

“The sports wagering note – and the bourbon cask assess Federal Reserve note – that passed during the 2023 General Assembly were the result of leaders in both chambers workings together,” he said. “Joe Craft had no act upon on this legislation, nor did he try to act upon the process or me.”

Meredith said that if anyone had any influence on Stivers, it would experience been House Speaker Jacques Louis David Osborne, R-Prospect, who James Meredith said has ever been a major backer of the legislation.

“There had been some electropositive conversations some folks had had with President Stivers along the way… Everybody made Stivers come out to be the risky guy cable inward this come forth for so long,” Meredith said.“I don’t live that President Stivers ever so came to a spot of simply expression flat, I’m a no. He just now felt similar it wasn’t a big-ticket item.”

That’s why it didn’t blow out of the water George Meredith to assure Stivers balloting yes.

“He had ever left an curtain raising to follow for the bill, and ultimately, I reckon he recognised that we were passing confining and the come out wasn’t sledding to proceed away,” James Howard Meredith said. “So, why non just occupy charge of it at present and run on to other things?”

Kentucky Gaming Movement Done for Now?

With sports betting eventually a realness inwards Kentucky, Thayer believes that has settled gaming issues inward the province for now. However, on that point experience been some lawmakers and yet Beshear himself who have discussed the opening of cassino gambling coming to Kentucky.

I would discourage anyone from talking nearly any to a greater extent gaming bills for now,” he said. “The focal point now needs to be on the set in motion of sports betting and the reasoning by elimination of the grey machines across Kentucky.”

Earlier inward the session, lawmakers passed a account that Beshear signed into law of nature that bans the so-called gray machines, also known as accomplishment games. However, gamy manufacturers and several businesses that innkeeper such machines have filed a suit to kibosh the jurisprudence from taking force at the cease of June.

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