Studies have shown that the younger a person begins gambling, the more likely they are to develop a problem. For one, the bill sets the legal sports betting age as 18 rather than 21, like most states. Although the bill does include some important problem gambling provisions, such as 2.5% of tax revenue dedicated to a problem gambling assistance fund, the bill also has some shortcomings. On March 23, 2023, Governor Andy Beshear signed HB 551 into law, making sports betting legal in Kentucky.
