HB 904 Gambling Expansion Passes House, TFF Expresses Disappointment

HB 904 Gambling Expansion Passes House, TFF Expresses Disappointment

FRANKFORT, KY – The Family Foundation regrets the Kentucky House decision to give final passage to HB 904, which contains an unconstitutional expansion of predatory gambling by “legalizing” fixed-odds wagering for horse racing. Unlike parimutuel wagering, which puts bettors in competition with each other, fixed-odds wagering puts bettors against “the House.” This shift will encourage even further predatory gambling expansion and could be a catalyst to invite full gambling “legalization” in Kentucky.

While The Family Foundation is grateful that some important protections were included, including raising the gambling age to 21 and a prohibition against some harmful “prop” bets, the Foundation calls on the Kentucky Senate to remove HB 904’s fixed-odds language and move forward a bill without any further gambling expansion.

Statement from David Walls, Executive Director of The Family Foundation:

“The Kentucky Constitution only provides for three forms of gambling: charitable gaming, the Kentucky Lottery, and parimutuel horse betting. HB 904 represents another unconstitutional expansion of predatory gambling, similar to HB 551 passed in 2023 that “legalized” sports betting and SB 120 in 2021 that “legalized” HHR slot machines, both legally dubious laws that expanded gambling without constitutional authorization. Just because previous legislation has ignored and defied our Kentucky Constitution does not mean that this General Assembly should do so again,” said David Walls, Executive Director of The Family Foundation.

“If the General Assembly continues to go down the path of more government-sponsored predatory gambling, Kentuckians will continue to pay the price. More gambling will only mean more destructive costs to families and communities across the Commonwealth. It’s past time for the General Assembly to just say no to more unconstitutional gambling expansions,” Walls concluded.

Since the “legalization” of sports betting in 2023, calls to Kentucky’s problem gambling hotline have already more than doubled. Gambling is as addictive as opioids, heroin, and cocaine and it carries the highest suicide rate of any addiction. The Family Foundation has long opposed and fought tirelessly against gambling expansion for a very simple reason: we care about our fellow Kentuckians.