Legislation focused on bourbon and gaming passed by Senate committee

The Senate Licensing and Occupations Committee moved bills dealing with Kentucky’s signature bourbon industry and the regulation of gaming machines Tuesday morning.

House Bill 500, sponsored by House Majority Whip Chad McCoy, seeks to help one of Kentucky’s signature industries by ensuring distilleries are able to continue private barrel selects.

Highlights of the bill includes:  

• A distiller would be allowed to sell 30 percent of its annual allotment of private barrel selections to consumers or other unlicensed entities directly from the gift shop.
• A distiller can sell more than 30 percent of its annual allotment to consumers. But anything above 30 percent sold through the gift shop must be sold through the three-tier system.
• Allows distillers to sell exclusive bottles on-site in their distillery gift shop at a limit of three liters per person, per day.
• Any gift shop exclusive bottle must be sold in-person at the distillery.
• Distillers would be permitted to sample and sell their brands by-the-bottle at fairs and festivals.

McCoy noted the bill seeks to keep Kentucky’s bourbon industry and the tourism surrounding the industry robust.

The committee also heard and passed House Bill 608, sponsored by Rep. Killian Timoney, which bans any game machine that fall outside of lottery, charitable gaming, horse racing, and historical horse racing.

Timoney told the committee Kentucky has many gaming options that have “gone by the rules” while the grey machines have not and are not regulated. He stated this bill would allow the state to have a starting point to move forward with these types of games in the future.

House Bills 500 and 608 now move to the full Senate to be heard on the floor.