Churchill Downs, Inc., confirmed this week its purport to make a motion send on with a gaming locale in Kentucky’s Owensboro that was antecedently announced by the former owners of the Ellis Mungo Park pureblood Equus caballus raceway in Henderson.
The Louisville-based racecourse possessor and gaming operator acquired Ellis Park lastly September for $79 million from Laguna Development Corporation. Ellis Park hosts the KY gymnastic horse racing circuit’s Summer Meet.
Laguna had antecedently proclaimed plans to construct and operate a $100 million gaming venue inward Owensboro around 25 miles east of Henderson. Laguna’s plans called for historical gymnastic horse racing (HHR) machines, a simulcasting center, and multiple nutrient and drink outlets.
HHR terminals are slots-like machines but instead of spins beingness dictated by a random figure generator, the outcomes of historical racing devices are based on previously tally gymnastic horse races. Bettors are shown the parimutuel betting odds for the race, with vital info such as the race location, date, horses, jockeys, and trainer info withheld. Bettors typically take an auto-bet option that puts their wager on the run favorite.
Limited Details
Churchill Downs didn’t say practically inwards a release confirming the company’s intentions to convey on with Laguna’s planned HHR attribute inwards Owensboro. John Churchill acquired the development rights to the Owensboro externalise through its purchase of Ellis Park.
The troupe has secured a situation inward eastern Daviess County, outdoors of the Owensboro city limits, to build its antecedently proclaimed historical racing machine entertainment venue as an wing of Ellis Park,” a Winston Churchill Downs financial statement read. “This unexampled facility testament reenforcement wrinkle funding for Ellis Park run meets.”
The Churchill Downs financial statement added that additional information, including an investment budget for the Owensboro facility, testament live released in the coming months.
Laguna had targeted the Towne Square Mall for its HHR venue. But Winston S. Churchill Downs’ financial statement expression it has secured a situation out of doors of the Owensboro metropolis limits suggests that the accompany is focusing on a new, unrevealed send off location, as the Towne Square Mall is within the Owensboro metropolis limits.
HHR Legality
Historical Equus caballus racing machines hold found favor inwards states where parimutuel wagering is sound but commercial gambling casino gambling is not, as is the vitrine in Kentucky. The HHR devices have got helped stabilize the struggling Equus caballus racing industry, which has faced practically critique of tardily for a slew of horses dying at several tracks, including at John Churchill Downs’ namesake data track inwards Louisville.
Revenue from HHR gaming has supported tracks and horsemen past right smart of increased purses. But the Bluegrass State Supreme Court inwards early 2021 ruled that the machines were illegal. The state’s highest homage set that the machines did non be parimutuel betting.
State lawmakers provided a pickle in Feb 2021 past pass an HHR account that provides the machines with legal footing. Bluegrass State Gov. Andy Beshear (D) signed the historical racing visor into natural law that same month.
Churchill Downs has been on a buying spree. Its $2.5 1000000000000 acquisition in conclusion year of Peninsula Pacific Entertainment made John Churchill the leading manipulator of HHR machines in Virginia.
P2E’s acquired assets included Colonial Downs and the racetrack’s sestet off-track HHR gaming venues that operate under the Rosie’s Gaming Emporium brand.