The Kentucky Supreme Court unanimously ruled Thursday morning that the historical horse racing system featured at some of the state’s gaming venues does not constitute pari-mutuel wagering, but it will not mean the closure of Oak Grove Racing, Gaming and Hotel.
The decision says in part, “We acknowledge the importance and significance of this industry to this Commonwealth. We appreciate the numerable economic pressures that impact it. If a change, however, in the long-accepted definition of pari-mutuel wagering is to be made that change must be made by the people of this Commonwealth through their duly-elected legislators, not by an appointed administrative body and not by the judiciary.”
The decision overturns a Franklin Circuit Court judge’s 2018 ruling.
Churchill Downs, Inc.–which offers 1,300 historical racing machines in its facility in Oak Grove–issued a statement Thursday afternoon saying they will continue operations as it does not use the specific “Exacta” system mentioned in the supreme court case.
The statement says in part: “We will work within our legal rights and in coordination with Kentucky legislators to ensure the ongoing legal operation of our historical racing machine facilities in Kentucky so that we can continue to provide critical funding for the equine industry and support the citizens in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Although Churchhill Downs, Inc. does not use the Exacta system in question at any of our historical racing facilities, we appreciate Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear’s support of the industry in his statement regarding Historical Horse Racing today.”