BUSINESS

Ky. greenlights more gambling at Turfway

Alexander Coolidge
acoolidge@enquirer.com

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Tuesday approved a plan to install 250 historic racing terminals at Turfway Park, paving the way for expanded gambling options at the Florence racetrack.

Rock Gaming, developer of Cincinnati's casino, also owns Turfway Park in Florence.

The machines allow gamblers to bet on unidentified recorded horse races that may be years old. Once the bet is placed, the terminal plays the taped race. The devices would be put in a 10,000-square-foot gaming area that would be built at the park.

If track owner Detroit-based Rock Gaming pursues the project, it would be the biggest upgrade to the facility in more than a decade, said General Manager Chip Bach.

Rock Gaming estimated the expanded facility would create 30-35 full-time jobs. Rock Gaming is the gambling arm of Rock Ventures, Detroit mogul Dan Gilbert's holding company.

"It's another opportunity to improve our racing product," Bach said, noting that gambling revenues would be used to fatten purses for Turfway's core horse operations, which in turn could draw more talent and create more exciting races.

Still, Rock Gaming officials aren't committing to the plan and may not pursue the project. The company, which also owns the Horseshoe casinos in Cincinnati and Cleveland, says stay tuned.

Nothing will happen on the proposal until the end of the park's racing season in early April.

"Right now, there is no timeline – we're still evaluating," said spokeswoman Gayle Joseph. "If we move forward, we will invest in it."