Republican Rep. Thomas Huff, R-Shepherdsville, filed a measure that would legalize land-based and riverboat casinos and place the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation in charge of licensing and regulating casino gaming and fantasy sports contests.

Huff pointed to the impact of Historical Horse Racing (HHR) machines that have been operating in Kentucky since 2021.

“HHR machines and sports betting have generated millions of dollars in revenue for Kentucky in recent years,” Huff said. “I filed HB 33 to build on their success, increase state revenue, and provide the people of Kentucky with the opportunity to play at casinos in their home state.”

But leaders of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, the Commonwealth Policy Center and The Family Foundation say casinos are a bad bet.

“While I am grateful the Republican-led legislature is working to lower the tax burden on hard- working Kentuckians, expanded gambling in the commonwealth is not the answer,” said Todd Gray, executive director of the KBC. “Elected leaders are put in place for human flourishing and this type of leadership does just the opposite. I am praying that our elected leaders will exercise prudence and reject all attempts to expand gambling in our state.”

Southern Baptists have long voiced their opposition to predatory gambling. The Southern Baptist Convention has adopted 14 resolutions on this issue. Most recently, one resolution called on believers “to exercise their influence by refusing to participate in any form of gambling or its promotion.”

Messengers at the 2023 KBC Annual Meeting passed an anti-gambling resolution that read in part, “…we urge our leaders at all levels of government to end state-sponsored gambling, curtail all forms of destructive gambling, and address its harmful effects through policy and legislation.”

Commonwealth Policy Center Executive Director Richard Nelson called House Bill 33 “fool’s gold” because of the damage that could come from expanding gambling in Kentucky.

“HB 33 would allow local option elections to expand full-blown casinos into our communities. This is the latest attempt to expand a predatory industry destructive to local economies and individuals,” he said. “Expanding casino gambling doesn’t help people thrive or the state to prosper. Remember, the House always wins. Everyone else is made a loser. It’s disappointing to see legislators promote the next shiny thing as an economic engine, but all we’ll end with is fool’s gold.”

Nelson said CPC encourages Kentuckians to contact their legislators.

The Family Foundation also issued a statement calling for the “sound defeat of HB 33.”

“The Family Foundation is firmly against any effort to expand gambling in the commonwealth. The casino gambling industry preys upon society’s most economically vulnerable — especially those who already receive means-tested financial assistance — and gambling expansion causes great social and economic harm wherever it goes. This harm has already been introduced by ‘historical racing machines,’ and full casino gambling will only cause it to accelerate.

“When considering the tremendous moral and financial harm that the casino industry perpetrates on unsuspecting consumers, it should make no difference if neighboring states take part in those practices. Kentucky ought not fall into the same immoral trap simply because another state already has. State-sanctioned casino gambling is nothing more than state-sanctioned theft—except in this case the state also lets a third-party corporation have a cut of your hard-earned dollars.”

In 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that a federal ban on sports betting was unconstitutional, opening the floodgates for legalized sports betting. The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention continues to advocate against any expansion of gambling and encourages state legislatures to roll back current laws authorizing gaming.

Lawmakers return to Frankfort on Feb. 4 for the remainder of the 30-day session, which ends on March 28.

To call and leave a message for your legislator, you may call the Legislative Message ​​​Line at 1-800-372-7181 or you may contact your individual legislator.