The Kentucky Sports Betting handle has released the latest numbers for June. Bettors wagered $222.7 million during the month, a 27% jump from May, according to state figures on Kentucky sports betting. But the growth in wagers didn't carry the same weight on the bottom line, as gross gaming revenue came in below where it stood in June 2025. The numbers offer a clear look at how Kentucky's market continues to expand even as margins remain unpredictable month to month.
The June Numbers Breakdown
The full picture, once the state's official breakdown is published, will show how June 2026 stacks up against June 2025 in more granular terms, including the hold rate, tax collections, and the online-versus-retail split. Kentucky's regulator, the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation, posts these figures monthly; the June report is available at khrc.ky.gov. Kentucky's sports betting market dates back to September 2023, when retail sportsbooks opened first, followed weeks later by online platforms.
Nearly three years in, the state's handle has climbed steadily, even as gross revenue has fluctuated depending on the hold rate and the sporting calendar. A 27% handle increase paired with a revenue decline points to bettors catching more winners in June, a familiar pattern in a month that overlaps with early summer sports and, in years with global soccer tournaments, an extra wave of action that tends to push hold rates down nationally. The official numbers, once fully broken down, will clarify how much of that swing came from mobile wagering, which has accounted for nearly 98% of Kentucky's total handle in recent months.
How The Betting Markets Compare
At the top of the market, Kentucky's results have consistently looked like most other states. DraftKings and FanDuel have combined for close to 70% of online handle in recent months, a duopoly seen across much of the country. Below them, bet365 has built a real hold on third place, consistently ahead of BetMGM, Fanatics, and Caesars, a distinction from many states where bet365 fights for a mid-tier spot behind several bigger national brands. TheScore Bet, Circa, and Prime have rounded out the field, together making up a small slice of online handle.
Retail betting, a much smaller share of Kentucky's total, runs differently. Much of the state's in-person wagering flows through Kambi, a platform provider that powers betting counters at Churchill Downs, Turfway Park, Ellis Park, and Oak Grove without carrying its own consumer-facing brand.
With DraftKings and FanDuel holding the top two spots and the order below them still shifting month to month, Kentucky's competitive picture remains unsettled outside the leaders. Combined with a hold rate that swung lower in June, the latest figures suggest a market where Kentucky sports betting apps are still fighting hard for share rather than coasting on an established base built over the last three years.
