Circa Sportsbook Breaks Ground in Kentucky
Circa Debuts Mobile Betting in Kentucky: State Up to 8 Operators

Circa Sports is expanding its reach.
The Nevada-based sportsbook announced Monday it has begun taking mobile bets in Kentucky, making it five U.S. states where it now operates.
Circa previously opened shop, so to speak, in Colorado, Illinois, Iowa and Nevada.
Here’s all there is to know about Circa debuting mobile betting in Kentucky.
‘This is Entertainment’
Circa’s addition gives Kentucky eight mobile operators and its first new sports betting app since launching on Sept. 28. It joins a market that includes DraftKings FanDuel, Caesars, BetMGM bet365, Fanatics Sportsbook and ESPN BET.
During its first three months of operation, the Bluegrass State averaged $269.2 million in handle. Industry leaders DraftKings and FanDuel accounted for a bulk of the action as expected, with the remaining sportsbooks jockeying for position behind them.
Caesars, bet365, ESPN BET, Fanatics Sportsbook and BetMGM all fell below $20 million in handle during the final two months of 2023. Meanwhile, the gross revenue during that span was 12.6%, 80% above the industry standard.
Results should continue to improve once the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission releases its figures for January.
“This is entertainment,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear told the Associated Press upon legalizing sports betting. “It’s what Kentuckians were looking for. It’s going to boost tourism. It’s going to make sure we don’t lose that many people to Vegas in the first couple rounds in the NCAA Tournament.”
In-person betting on horse racing was already a strong tradition in the state, with Churchill Downs in Louisville famously serving as home to the Kentucky Derby.
Early estimates have mobile betting generating about $23 million in annual revenue for the state, though some supporters believe that number could be higher. It will be interesting to see how Circa debuting mobile betting in Kentucky affects those projections. A majority of the revenue will go to the state’s public pension system.
While the state has no professional sports teams, college basketball and football remain huge draws along with horse racing.
Getting Started
Circa is not offering any sign-up bonuses, though it fancies itself as providing higher betting limits than most of its competitors. Bettors are required to create a Play+ account in order to deposit and withdrawal money through the Circa mobile app.
The partners for Circa in Kentucky are Cumberland Run Racetrack and the Mint Gaming Hall in Corbin, which debuted last July.
The legal minimum age for making bets at Circa is 21. Although those age 17 and older have access to the app, they cannot legally bet online.
Mobile sports betting is now legal in 30 U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia. North Carolina was the latest to launch last month, joining other southern states such as Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, and Tennessee.
That list is expected to grow in coming years as online sports betting becomes more mainstream in the public eye.
Stay tuned for more updates on Circa debuting mobile betting in Kentucky.
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