Sports betting misses as Kentucky General Assembly gavels outs for 2022

LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) – The Kentucky Common Meeting has adjourned for the 12 months.

The busy session noticed rather a lot completed, however a last-gasp hope to go a invoice legalizing sports activities betting within the Commonwealth failed to achieve the help of the Senate.

“There are people who definitely agree with me that playing is a tax on the poor,” Sen. Whitney Westerfield (R-Crofton) informed FOX 56.  

Westerfield stated there are a number of components of the invoice he believes wanted a repair. He filed 17-floor amendments to alter or take away issues he stated are inconsistent or “industry-supplied” language.

“I’m going to be against it regardless, however once more if you happen to’re going to help the invoice, learn it, don’t simply vote since you’re okay with the idea,” Westerfield stated.

However lawmakers by no means had an opportunity to vote on HB 606, as a result of it by no means handed committee. The playing invoice was reassigned Wednesday from Licensing and Operations to Financial Improvement. Committee chair Sen. Wil Schroder stated he was on standby from management to name a gathering.

“Proper now we nonetheless want votes, each within the committee to get it after which each right here on the ground as nicely,” Schroder stated.

When requested why not simply convey the invoice for a vote and let or not it’s voted down in committee Schroder defined that’s not the everyday course of in Frankfort and payments aren’t usually known as in committee in the event that they understand it doesn’t have the votes and partially to not embarrass the invoice’s sponsor.

“I get the frustration, I do know individuals would slightly see it voted, however that’s simply not how we’ve operated,” Schroder stated.

“When 60, 70, 80, 90 % of Kentuckians are in favor of one thing, it’s time we transfer ahead with it. Sports activities betting is in each one among our different states. You understand, border states they usually’re all save one lead by Republican legislatures,” Gov. Andy Beshear stated throughout a Staff Kentucky replace Thursday.

“This can be a invoice that hurts people who find themselves poor and preys on their hope that they’re going to strike it wealthy. They’re not all upper-middle-class of us paying out cash for leisure worth – some persons are doing it as a result of they wish to get wealthy and I don’t assume we should always make our ends meet that manner,” Westerfield stated.

Westerfield stated he hopes the invoice’s sponsor, Rep. Adam Koenig, R-Erlanger, incorporates a few of his amendments in a brand new model of the invoice, but when one is filed, Kentuckians gained’t see it till the 2023 legislative session.