Kentucky welcomes sports gambling

Churchill Downs Inc. plans to open six sports-betting locations at its Kentucky properties on Sept. 7, including two in the Louisville area, the company said on Wednesday.

The company, which owns three Thoroughbred tracks and one harness track in Kentucky, said that sports betting operations would begin on Sept. 7 at each of the tracks and at two casinos the company owns, one in Louisville and one in Northern Kentucky. Regulators set Sept. 7 as the date when sports betting could begin at Kentucky bricks-and-mortar locations. Mobile sports betting will launch as of Sept. 28.

In a release, Churchill said that the locations would offer “kiosks” for sports-betting customers plus a variety of large-format televisions. The locations within the facilities will also continue to offer simulcast wagering.

Churchill also plans to open a sports-betting operation at its Derby City Gaming location in downtown Louisville, but that facility is still under construction.

Other sports-betting locations that will open in Kentucky on Sept. 7 include one at The Red Mile in downtown Lexington, operated in partnership with Keeneland.

The announcement of the openings came one day after the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission approved temporary sports-betting licenses for Kentucky’s tracks. The KHRC also approved temporary licenses for nine mobile sports-betting companies. The mobile companies are required to reach an agreement with a licensed racetrack before being allowed to take bets.

The Kentucky legislature narrowly passed a bill allowing for sports betting earlier this year, with the practice restricted to racetracks and their mobile partners. Regulations governing the practice were fast-tracked after the approval.

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