Democratic Party candidate Andy Beshear, who pledged to legalize commercial casinos, sports betting and Kentucky online gambling if elected, has won Kentucky’s gubernatorial election. He won in the state’s main population centers, claiming Jefferson County, which includes Louisville, by almost 100,000 votes, as well as Fayette County, including the city of Lexington, by more than 35,000 votes.

In September, Beshear detailed a policy under which tax revenue raised through gambling expansion would be fund a pension system for public servants such as teachers, police officers and firefighters. Beshear’s plan also requires casinos to provide financial support for treatment facilities, while the Cabinet of Health and Family Services will be tasked with producing an annual report on gambling addiction statistics.

Currently, the only gambling allowed in Kentucky is pari-mutuel dog and horse race betting, and charitable games such as the state lottery.

For more on the new governor’s plans and the possibility of Kentucky online gambling in the future, visit iGB North America.