Bill Could Legalize Slots In Kentucky

A pre-filed bill in the Kentucky General Assembly would place slot-machine gambling under similar restrictions as alcohol.The measure would let voters in each county decide whether to allow video lottery terminals, which are essentially slot machines, to be placed in certain locations, including horse tracks.The bill’s author, Democratic Representative Tom Burch of Louisville, says the measure is different from casino gambling legislation introduced last year, because casinos offer many different ways to gamble.“That there’s the roulette wheels, the whole thing," he says. "We’re talking just about slots at the tracks and so forth, and that would be somewhat less."As it’s written, the bill would give 15% of the machines’ revenue back to state and local governments. State Representative Greg Stumbo says he’ll propose similar legislation aimed at boosting purses at horse racing tracks.