SportsHandle and friends deliver another round-up of the week’s big developments in US sports betting.

Kentucky Governor: ‘The Time Is Now’ For Sports Betting

In a full-throated endorsement on Thursday of legal sports betting in Kentucky, Governor Andy Beshear held a press conference all but demanding that the state General Assembly pass HB 137, the bill that would make sports wagering legal in a state best known for bourbon and horse racing.

Since moving the bill out of committee in early January, House Representative Adam Koenig has been able to rally enough votes to legalize, but not enough Republican votes to make it clear the Senate would also support the measure and keep his party comfortable with the decision.

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Maine Senate Overrides Sports Betting Veto, Sets State On Path For Legal Wagering

In a state that is about as far East as possible in the U.S., the phrase “Wild, Wild West” came up in Maine Thursday when the Senate overrode Governor Janet Mills’ veto of a bill to legalize sports wagering, 20-10.

The vote was just barely the two-thirds required to override a veto. The Senate will now send the override to the House for concurrence. The bill was one three Mills vetoed in January and the first to be overridden.

Ever since Mills vetoed the measure on Jan. 10, the override has been on the Senate calendar with no action. On a snowy day that nearly ended up in a cancelled session, Democratic Senator Louis Luchini walked his peers through a well thought-out presentation on why he and the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs believe their bill, SB 175, is the best way for Maine to move forward. And then his explanation withstood a barrage of reasons for why Maine should legalize — but in a different way, under different parameters.

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State of DFS In New York Just Got Even Murkier

If a legislature declares that a certain activity does not qualify as gambling, is that enough to ensure its legality?

A New York State appeals court on Thursday declared that no, it is not enough in that state – and thus the state’s rollercoaster ride with daily fantasy sports continues.

Rob Rosborough, a New York State attorney who has followed the the saga in White v Cuomo, quickly answered a core, short-term question on Twitter:

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New Tennessee Sports Betting Bill Would Change Some Duties Of Advisory Council

A new piece of legislation was introduced Tuesday in Nashville that would make some changes to the way sports betting is overseen and implemented. The Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation, along with its Sports Wagering Advisory Council, are currently hashing out regulations to oversee the upcoming industry, expected to launch in late spring or early summer.

The legislation, Senate Bill 2216, comes from state Sen. Steven Dickerson, a Republican from Nashville. Dickerson was one of the policymakers behind the Sports Gaming Act, passed into law last year.

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Redskins ‘Humbly’ Ask Maryland For Sportsbook At FedEx Field, Casinos Uninterested In Idea

Maryland casinos have varying views on legal sports wagering, but it appears they are basically in alignment that there shouldn’t be a sportsbook at the current or future Redskins NFL stadium in the state.

A Maryland House committee on Tuesday held a hearing on a handful of legislative proposals up for consideration, including a plan to legalize and regulate sports wagering, both retail and over the internet.

The hearing featured substantial conversation from many industry stakeholders.

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Nevada Sportsbooks Post Big Super Bowl Win On $154.7M Handle

Nevada sportsbooks came out big winners on Super Bowl LIV betting in numbers released by the Nevada Gaming Control Board on Tuesday, recording their highest win total in six years on the second-largest handle ever recorded for Super Bowl betting.

The Silver State’s 190 sportsbooks won a combined $18.8 million on the $154.7 million handle for Sunday’s 31-20 victory by the Kansas City Chiefs over the San Francisco 49ers. The handle trails only the $158.6 million recorded two years ago when the Philadelphia Eagles upset the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.

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