When Kentucky finally passed a sports betting law in March, it meant that some residents would no longer need to cross state lines to bet on the Wildcats, Cardinals or any other team on the oddsboard. Many drove to Indiana regularly to bet online or at a local sportsbook.
With October being the first full month for online and retail Kentucky sports betting, we can finally start to see its impact on Indiana’s totals, which were released Monday morning. The data from the Indiana Gaming Commission shows that several brick-and-mortar facilities took a big hit.
Overall, the Hoosier State reported a sports betting handle of $429.7 million last month. That’s down 3.7% from the October 2022 handle of $446.2 million. The drop of more than $16.5 million resulted from a more than 50% decline at the state’s 14 sportsbooks, and four of those located just north of Kentucky reported a combined decline of nearly $15.9 million.
Online sports betting in Indiana rose marginally as Hoosier bettors wagered $412.1 million last month, compared to $410.6 million in October 2022.
Must be 21+ and physically present in AZ, CO, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MO, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY or Washington, DC. New users only. Must register using eligible promo code. Min. qualifying bet amount: $1. Tokens max. bet amount: $25 per token. Tokens bet max. add'l winnings: $2,500 per token. Token(s) expire 14 days after receipt. Not reissued for voided/pushed bets. Void where prohibited. See Caesars.com/promos for full terms. Know When To Stop Before You Start®. Gambling Problem? CO, IL, KY, MD, MI, MO, NJ, TN, VA, WV, WY, KS (Affiliated with Kansas Crossing Casino), ME (Licensed through the Mi’kmaq Nation, Penobscot Nation, and Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, federally recognized tribes located in the State of Maine), NC (Licensed through Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise), PA (Affiliated with Harrah's Philadelphia): If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) or MD: visit mdgamblinghelp.org or WV: visit 1800gambler.net; AZ: Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP; IN: Call 1-800-9-WITH-IT; IA: Call 1-800-BETSOFF; MA: Call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org, NY: Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369); LA (Licensed through Horseshoe Bossier City and Caesars New Orleans) Call 1-800-522-4700, Washington, DC (OLG Class A licensed Operator): Call 1-800-MY-RESET. ©2026, Caesars Entertainment.
Retail Sports Betting Drying Up In Southern Indiana
The biggest fall came from Hollywood Lawrenceburg, located in the state's southeast corner. After generating a handle of $11.9 million in October 2022, it reported taking just $1.7 million in wagers last month. That was a drop of 85.5%.
While the Penn Entertainment casino is just across the Ohio River from Northern Kentucky, a major population center in the state, it’s also served as the closest retail sportsbook for Cincinnati residents, who have been able to bet online or at retail sportsbooks in Ohio since the start of the year. In January, Hollywood Lawrenceburg reported a retail sports betting handle of $6.5 million. That’s compared to the $13.2 million it took in wagers for January 2022.
Indiana’s Belterra Casino, which is located roughly halfway between Louisville and Cincinnati, saw its year-to-year handle decline by more than 70%, as the Boyd Gaming property took just $245,489 at its FanDuel brick-and-mortar sportsbook in October.
The two retail sportsbooks closest to Louisville, both operated by Caesars, saw their combined handle drop by more than $5 million. Caesars Southern Indiana’s handle fell from $3.7 million in October 2022 to just $838,005 last month, a drop of 77.6%, and Winner’s Circle Clarksville went from $3.8 million to $1.6 million, a 58.4% decrease.
Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY-RESET (Available in the US) Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY) Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-981-0023 (PR), Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS, NV), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI). 21+ only. Please Gamble Responsibly. See http://BetMGM.com for Terms. First Bet Offer for new customers only (if applicable). Subject to eligibility requirements. Bonus bets are non-withdrawable and Expire in 7 Days. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. This promotional offer is not available in DC, Mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico.
More than $325 Million Wagered In Kentucky
Kentucky still has not produced any formal figures for either September or October. However, at a Kentucky Horse Racing Commission meeting on Oct. 31, Director of Sports Wagering Hans Stokke reported the state’s seven active sports betting apps had accepted more than $310 million since Kentucky online sports betting started on Sept. 28.
Kentucky sports betting apps available include Barstool Sportsbook (which is set to become ESPN BET on Tuesday), Bet365, BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, Fanatics and FanDuel.
The state’s brick-and-mortar facilities, which began taking sports wagers on Sept. 7, have reported a handle of more than $15 million since they opened.
GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY-RESET, (800) 327-5050 or visit http://gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), 1-800-981-0023 (PR). 21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/KY/NH/PR/WY). Void in NH/OR/ONT/PR. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino (KS). Pass-thru of per wager tax may apply in IL. 1 per new DraftKings customer. $5+ first-time bet req. Max. $100 issued as non-withdrawable Bonus Bets that expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Plus, upon bet placement, get 1 promo code to redeem a 1-month ESPN Unlimited subscription, courtesy of DraftKings. New and eligible returning ESPN subscribers only. Subscription auto-renews monthly at then-current price (currently $29.99/mo) (plus tax, where applicable); cancel anytime. FOR EXISTING DISNEY+ AND HULU SUBSCRIBERS: offer cannot be bundled with Disney+ and Hulu. This is an offer for a separate ESPN Unlimited subscription and must be managed separately. Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited bundle available via http://plus.espn.com. Promo code expires 1/7/27. Subject to ESPN’s Subscriber Agreement. Terms: http://sportsbook.draftkings.com/promos. Ends 5/31/26 at 11:59 PM ET.
![quote]( "quote")
