The Commonwealth Policy Center, a group that is opposed to building a horse racing track and gambling parlor in Oak Grove, held a town hall meeting Thursday evening at Edgewood Baptist Church.
Executive Director Richard Nelson called the racing track, which is a joint venture between Keeneland and Chuchill Downs a ‘casino’ and that he considers bringing the gambling aspect of the track to the community a big mistake. The proposed track—which could open later this year in Oak Grove—calls for up to 30 days of horse racing but would be home to approximately 1,500 historical racing machines.
Nelson says the number of days for horse racing is actually only 12 and those machines are just slot machines, with people betting money on previously run races.
Lt. Governor Jenean Hampton spoke at the meeting, saying that she wants to see more industry come here that doesn’t prey on addiction while creating jobs.
State Senator Whitney Westerfield says the question of if the historical racing machines are legal in Kentucky still hasn’t been answered.
Nelson encouraged attendees of the meeting to contact their local elected officials and tell them they are against bringing gambling to the community. Several people spoke, with many focusing on potential issues that a gambling parlor could create in the community, such as a possible increase in crime and poverty.
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission approved a license in November for a location at the intersection of Fort Campbell Boulevard and Thompsonville Lane. The proposed track would create around 400 full and part time jobs and approximately 800 construction jobs. Along with the track and the racing machines, the venture would include a 125-room hotel with event center and food venues, a 1,200-person seated capacity grandstand, a 3,000-person capacity outdoor amphitheater and stage and an equestrian center including indoor and outdoor arenas.
