LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Kentucky’s casino-like historical horse racing venues are cleared to reopen next week, Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday.
Beshear also said that four NASCAR races will be held at Kentucky Speedway July 9-12 without fans.
Beshear said he was impressed with a plan submitted by the state’s racetracks, which own the historical horse racing facilities, to operate starting June 8 at one-third of normal capacity with additional cleanings and hand sanitizer, among other changes.
“It’s a good proposal and we think it’s going to help us to do it safely,” Beshear said.
Kentucky has four venues – Derby City Gaming, Keeneland-Red Mile, Ellis Park and Kentucky Downs – where patrons can bet on machines that resemble slots. They have been closed since mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The machines have become an important new source of revenue for the horse racing industry in recent years.
Players put more than $2 billion into the machines in the state fiscal year ended June 30, 2019, nearly double from the year before. That generated $169 million in revenue for the venues and $30 million in state taxes, according to state statistics.
Churchill Downs, which owns Derby City Gaming in Louisville, plans to open three more historical horse racing facilities in coming years.
