Kentucky Betting Hub’s Rating Guidelines

On this page, we will explain how we rate online sportsbooks at KentuckyBettingHub and give a clear standard we follow to evaluate operators that are legally authorized to operate by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC). To provide our readers with a clear view of what we do at KentuckyBettingHub, this article outlines the standards, procedures, and safeguards that shape our sportsbook ratings.

Our ratings and recommendations follow a standard ratings approach, which is why all ratings we published on KentuckyBettingHub are based on hands-on testing conducted under real-money conditions. We do not rely solely on press releases, marketing claims, or third-party summaries. Our reviewers interact directly with each sportsbook as a Kentucky bettor would, from registering accounts to completing verification, placing wagers, and requesting withdrawals.

Editorial Independence & Trust

Every rating we make at KentuckyBettingHub follows defined editorial standards designed to protect objectivity and reader trust. All sportsbook evaluations are produced independently of advertising or partnership considerations.

To keep bias away from our rating and provide readers with honest information about every licensed sportsbook in Kentucky, we maintain the following objective in all our reviews:

• 🎯 We review sportsbooks as real users, and our testing is conducted under real-money conditions without operator coordination. Sportsbooks are not informed in advance, and we do not accept guided demos, preferred access, or curated test accounts.
• 🎯 We follow this standard to ensure that our review team experiences the same environment available to everyday Kentucky bettors. This is one of the major reasons why all the reviews and ratings published on our site remain authentic and trustworthy.
• 🎯 When it comes to business and partnership, our editorial team operates separately from business and partnership functions. Our team members who are responsible for testing, scoring, and publishing reviews are not involved in our affiliate negotiations or commercial strategy. This separation is a core safeguard against conflicts of interest and ensures our ratings and recommendations remain independent.
• 🎯 Before any rating is published, we always make sure that it undergoes a peer-review process. A secondary reviewer validates scoring decisions, checks supporting evidence, and confirms that conclusions align with Kentucky-specific regulations and documented findings.
• 🎯 Kentucky bettors trust our ratings and recommendations thanks to the level of transparency we maintain at Kentucky Betting Hub. We don’t just publish reviews, we also make our methodology public. The criteria, category weights, and testing steps described on this page are intended to be auditable by readers, allowing independent scrutiny of our process.

Just like we’ve mentioned earlier in this article, our ratings are more focused on users and giving our readers the right information devoid of sportsbook or business influence. Full details are disclosed in our Affiliate Disclosure page.

Scope – What We Rate

Our coverage is intentionally narrow. We focus only on sportsbooks that meet Kentucky’s legal and consumer protection standards. This means that not every operator can be featured on our site, except for the ones that are fully licensed and regulated by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

We evaluate online sportsbooks that:

✅ Hold an active license issued by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission
✅ Accept bettors aged 21 and older
✅ Use geolocation technology to confirm wagers are placed within Kentucky state borders

Only sportsbooks that satisfy these conditions are eligible for review and recommendation on KentuckyBettingHub.

We do not rate:

❌ Unlicensed or offshore sportsbooks
❌ Platforms that fail identity verification or geolocation requirements
❌ Operators lacking functionally responsible gambling tools
❌ Services with unresolved payout complaints or regulatory actions

These exclusions are applied for player protection, not convenience. If an operator does not meet baseline safety and compliance standards, it is excluded from our consideration entirely.

Our Testing Methodology

At Kentucky Betting Hub, we value giving information that reflects the experience of real users. Every sportsbook review we publish follows a 12-step structured testing protocol designed to ensure consistency, auditability, and real-world relevance:

Researcher Preparation

Our reviewers conduct thorough research, and verify the licensing status of any sportsbook we’re reviewing through KHRC records, as well, review public enforcement actions, map supported platforms, and document initial expectations before testing begins.

Account Creation

We pay close attention and evaluate sign-up flow, clarity of required disclosures, password and security requirements, and optional features like two-factor authentication. Friction points and errors are documented, as these are among the things that shape our final rating.

Identity & Geolocation Verification

Here, our testing includes full KYC verification, confirmation of age eligibility (21+), and validation of geolocation enforcement required under Kentucky law.

Deposit Testing

To get the full real user experience, we make sure that at least two deposit methods are tested to assess approval rates, fees, minimums, maximums, and actual processing times compared to stated policies.

Bet Placement

We place pregame wagers, live bets, parlays, and props just like every Kentucky bettor would do. Our testing focuses on odds competitiveness, bet acceptance speed, live betting latency, bet limits, settlement accuracy, and cash-out availability.

Withdrawal Testing

Withdrawals are requested using multiple methods. We track processing times, communication quality, fee transparency, and whether payouts align with posted timelines.

Support & Responsible Gambling Tools

Every bettor likes a platform where they can easily get support when they run into any difficulties while betting. So during our testing, customer support channels are contacted to assess response speed, professionalism, and accuracy. We also check the availability of responsible gambling tools, such as deposit limits, cooling-off periods, self-exclusion, and test for ease of use and enforcement.

UX & Platform Reliability

Sportsbooks that offer an easy-to-use platform always stand out at the top in our rating. We evaluate navigation clarity, load times, app stability, crash frequency, and consistency across desktop and mobile environments.

Evidence Documentation: All our findings are supported by timestamped screenshots, transaction records, bet slips, and support transcripts. This evidence is archived for review.

Scoring Application

Our results are mapped to a standardized scoring rubric, with weighted categories and predefined red-flag rules applied consistently.

Editorial Review

To maintain certainty in our ratings, a secondary reviewer always validates scores, confirms evidence, and checks regulatory alignment before approval.

Publication & Monitoring

We don’t just publish our reviews and move on. Once we publish our reviews, each rating enters an ongoing monitoring cycle with scheduled re-tests and event-driven reviews.

Rating Criteria & Weights

We evaluate Kentucky sportsbooks across nine weighted categories, reflecting both consumer experience and regulatory priorities.

The 1–5 Star Rating Scale

Our ratings use a 1–5-star scale with half-star increments. Each rating reflects a sportsbook’s overall performance after our weighted scoring, red-flag checks, and our editorial review. Star levels are designed to communicate what users should practically expect, not marketing claims.

Continuous Monitoring & Updates

To keep our sportsbook ratings accurate and relevant, we always monitor all licensed Kentucky operators we review. Our ratings are not static as we make sure they’re updated whenever meaningful changes occur.

Quarterly Reviews

Every licensed Kentucky sportsbook we featured on our site is retested at least once every three months to confirm performance, pricing, payments, and player-protection standards remain consistent as they were after our first review.

Event-Based Reviews

We don’t hesitate to conduct immediate re-evaluations when material changes happen, including platform updates, policy changes, new sportsbook’s promotional structures, regulatory actions, or credible player-impact reports.

Transparent Updates

Any rating adjustments we made are documented with the date, reason, supporting evidence, and score impact. We don’t discard previous versions of testing documents as they’re retained to ensure accountability and traceability.

How to Get Listed

To be eligible for review on KentuckyBettingHub, sportsbooks must meet the following baseline requirements:

• Active Kentucky license issued by the KHRC
• Secure platform using SSL/TLS encryption and fraud prevention tools
• Clearly published terms and house rules
• Functional responsible gambling tools
• Customer support available to Kentucky bettors

Always keep in mind that Unlicensed and offshore operators are excluded from the list of sportsbooks we can consider for a review.

Our Commitment to You

At Kentucky Betting Hub, there are three core principles that guide our operations. They include:

• Transparency: Published methodology and documented update history
• Independence: Editorial decisions unaffected by partnerships
• Accuracy: Peer-reviewed, evidence-based, and continuously updated ratings

We uphold these standards to support informed decision-making.

References & Regulatory Framework

Our evaluations align with guidance issued by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, which oversees sports betting regulation in Kentucky. State-specific restrictions, such as wager limitations and mandatory geolocation, are incorporated directly into our testing and scoring.

Additional regulatory context is available on our gambling regulations page.

Kentucky Responsible Gambling Resources

To ensure that betting remains safe and fun for Kentucky bettors, the state has an established body that provides support and help to every Kentucky individual who has any gambling-related problems. These support resources include:

• Kentucky Problem Gambling Helpline: 1-800-GAMBLER (24/7, confidential)
• National Problem Gambling Helpline: 1-800-426-2537
• Kentucky Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program, administered by state regulators

To learn more about responsible gambling and available helpful tools, check out our Responsible Gambling page for more details.

Questions?

If you have questions about our methodology or would like to provide feedback, please visit:

• Affiliate Disclosure
• Privacy Policy
• Our contact page for methodology-related inquiries