Kentucky Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andy Beshear announced final week plans for expanded gambling as the state seeks new income sources for its cash-strapped pension method.
Attorney General Beshear announced his gubernatorial campaign last week. The official stated that he would look to legalize casino gambling, sports betting, and on-line poker. Kentucky currently has horse racing and Lottery.
Kentuckians are set to head towards the poll and elect their new Governor on November five of this year.
Attorney General Beshear stated he plans to bring Las Vegas-style casino gambling towards the state as well as sports betting and online poker. All tax revenue contributed from these activities will be directed toward pensions.
He stated last week that “expanded gaming is a long-overdue and typical sense method to make Kentucky much more competitive and shield the hard-earned pensions of our teachers and initial responders.”
The state’s Lawyer General went on that “while (Gov.) Matt Bevin is creating up excuses and false claims, Indiana and our neighboring states continue to steal our revenue” and that he would “always put the best interests of our individuals initial – and that includes expanding gaming to make new possibilities here in Kentucky.”
Of Kentucky’s neighboring states, Tennessee, Illinois, and Indiana legalized sports betting this year, whilst West Virginia legalized the practice early last year ahead of the landmark US Supreme Court ruling that struck down the long-standing PASPA ban.
West Virginia went reside with sports betting final fall, whilst Indiana debuted its first retail sportsbooks early this month.
The gambling expansion matter has been brought up for discussion within the state Legislature numerous occasions more than the years, but has never managed to acquire enough support. Lawyer General Beshear’s father, former Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, pitched the legalization of casino gambling during his two terms from 2007 to 2015. His by no means managed to succeed in his effort, although neighboring states, most notably Ohio, opened their initial Las Vegas-style gambling facilities at about that time.
This year, Rep. Adam Koenig, a Republican from Northern Kentucky, tabled a bill that known as for the legalization of each digital and retail sports betting. Rep. Koenig’s legislation required 60 votes from the one hundred Home members to attain the state Senate. However, the piece failed to acquire the necessary support. Rep. Koenig said that his push would gain sufficient backing in 2020, that is an even-numbered year and he will only require about 51 votes to advance the sports betting matter.
Gov. Bevin has historically been “agnostic” on athletic gambling. He has also stated that he does not think casino gambling would make any significant impact on pension funding. The state’s leading official has also commented on the impact expanded gambling would have on families, saying “somebody takes their life inside a casino simply because they’ve wasted the last semblance of dignity and hope that they had.”
In his campaign, Lawyer Common Beshear said that his gambling expansion strategy would also consist of operating with non-profit organizations to assist those suffering from gambling addiction.