Churchill Downs Unveils Plans for On-Site Sports Gambling

The wait is almost over. Sports gambling is arriving in Kentucky in September. You will not be able to wager with mobile apps until Sept. 28, but you can get in on the action in-person at racetracks around the state starting Thursday, Sept. 7. Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) shared more details on how the general public can place bets once the floodgates are lifted next month.

Of the nine horse racing venues that can operate sportsbook, six are owned by CDI. The Twin Spires at Churchill Downs will serve as the flagship. Andy Beshear will place the ceremonial first bet at 10 am Sept. 7. Later that day about a mile down the road, Louisville will open its home football season against Murray State. A a few former Wildcats will be on the sideline for the Racers, Dean Hood and Max Duffy.

Locations for Sports Gambling at Churchill Downs Properties

·      Churchill Downs Racetrack: 15 sports betting kiosks, 168 sq. ft. video screen, 20 large format televisions (churchilldowns.com/sportsbook)

·      Derby City Gaming & Hotel: 15 sports betting kiosks, 300 sq. ft. video screen, 12 large format televisions (derbycitygaming.com/race-sports-book)

·      Ellis Park Racing & Gaming: 5 sports betting kiosks (ellisparkracing.com/race-sports-book)

·      Newport Racing & Gaming: 10 sports betting kiosks, 20 large format televisions (newportrg.com/race-sports-book)

·      Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel: 20 sports betting kiosks, 300 sq. ft. video screen, 8 large format televisions (oakgrovegaming.com/race-sports-book)

·      Turfway Park Racing & Gaming: 15 sports betting kiosks, 300 sq. ft. video screen, 16 large format televisions (turfway.com/race-sports-book)

Potential Setbacks

The sportsbook at Churchill Downs racetrack will be on the Clubhouse 2nd floor in the Aristides Lounge. Simulcasting will be available for members in the Champions Bar and the Gold Room.

The Aristides Lounge is a great place. The enormous video screen and 20 TVs? Great. Fifteen betting kiosks? That’s just not going to work, especially during the two-week period when mobile wagering is unavailable. It’s also unclear if these sports gambling “kiosks” are self-serve betting stations or windows with tellers. If it’s exclusively the former, inexperienced bettors or those who aren’t technologically savvy could create HUGE back-ups.

Sports gambling in Southern Indiana got off to a rocky start because there weren’t enough people working the windows. Lines were out the door. Similar problems will almost certainly arise if they are not prepared for the first NFL Sunday of the 2023 season.

One Good Idea

Each CDI sportsbook will include designated parking areas to “Bet and Jet.” Reserved for 15 minutes at a time, these parking spaces should allow users to quickly and easily place their in-person sports wager. It’s unclear how effective they will be as Churchill Downs undergoes construction to its paddock, but the idea is sound. It might just take a little time to execute properly.

Once mobile betting goes live Sept. 28, CDI is partnering with three mobile betting companies to operate in Kentucky: FanDuel, Penn and Fanatics.

Sports Gambling + Horse Racing

Last night I had a “Dudes Rock” moment. A friend and I were plotting our fall when we started thinking about awesome opportunities. “Oh man, $2 beers while picking the ponies and betting Vikings vs. Eagles… A party bus to Keeneland for the Tennessee game while placing bets on The Hill?” Needless to say, it’s an exciting time to be a sports fan in Kentucky. While we’re waiting for the action to begin, this Saturday is the Travers Stakes and it’s featuring all of the top 3-year-olds in the country at Saratoga.

It feels like a historic event in the making combining the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont winners, along with the two-year-old champion, Forte, all coming together for the G1 Travers Stakes. It's a thrilling convergence of top talents, a proper championship event that… pic.twitter.com/uv7XSE6KVe

— Tom Ryan (@TomRyanKY) August 22, 2023