Instead of betting against the house, I’m betting against other bettors, qualifying the game as pari-mutuel wagering, which is legal in Kentucky.Īnd while it is a stretch to say the money made by the tracks from these HHR games has been critical to Thoroughbred racing in Kentucky, the popularity of these gaming machines and venues have acted as a much-needed booster shot for the industry. Instead of the outcomes being determined by a random number generator, winnings are determined by previously run horse races. The games are more like slot machines with one important difference.

After spending $9 on a hamburger and fries at Frankie’s Bar & Grill, I headed to the gaming machines.Įven though they are historical horse racing (HHR) machines, I found no horses there. I signed up for the Red Mile rewards club, got my player’s card and with a spin of the promotion wheel landed on $100 in free bets. While 20 also saw failed attempts to legalise online gambling in Kentucky, the state’s first non-racino facility was opened for business in September 2018 and has become incredibly popular in the region.It’s a good crowd for a weeknight on a recent Monday evening at Red Mile. Less than two years later, legislation was passed to allow for charitable gaming, including the use of selected bingo games, raffles and scratch cards for good causes.Ģ008 – present Further proposed legislative changes have been slow to take hold since the turn of the century, with 2008 seeing more than 140 domain names seized by the government having been decried as gambling devices. Over the course of the next 50 years, pari-mutuel betting became incredibly popular statewide, but it was not until the 1980s when gambling regulations were extended beyond this type of wagering.ġ988 – 2008 1988 finally saw the state’s Lottery Act passed, while the iconic Kentucky Downs racino (which contains a racecourse and various types of event with slot gaming) first opened its doors on April 22nd, 1990. 1875-1988 Of course, the state remains synonymous with horse racing, and has done ever since the old Churchill Downs site opened its doors in 1875 (this site continues to host the famous Kentucky Derby each and every year).

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