I went to Lexington yesterday for a weekend of fun with friends. The plan was to bet races via OTW and see the Cats play. Previously we bet at Keeneland but we're directed to the Red Mile. We were at the Red Mile a couple of years ago and it was a total dump.

 

We were very surprised to see how great the Red Mile looked compared to our last visit. We were equally surprised to walk in to see a casino on the first floor. It was all slot machines. The lady there said that as long as the machines had a horse racing theme, it was legal. We walked through, and sure enough, every machine had some kind of horse racing mention, but the games themselves seemed to be basic slot machines.

 

Admittedly, I did not play the slots at the casino because we were there for a short period, but I was quite surprised. Is this a way to get around gambling laws? If so, why aren't other tracks doing this?

Casinos don't do a thing for me. Me and Mrs. Lawnboy drove the 5 minutes to the new one in Cincy after it 1st opened, and stayed long enough for Mrs. Lawnboy to drink one beer then we left.

 

So if it comes here fine, if not so be it.

I went to Lexington yesterday for a weekend of fun with friends. The plan was to bet races via OTW and see the Cats play. Previously we bet at Keeneland but we're directed to the Red Mile. We were at the Red Mile a couple of years ago and it was a total dump.

 

We were very surprised to see how great the Red Mile looked compared to our last visit. We were equally surprised to walk in to see a casino on the first floor. It was all slot machines. The lady there said that as long as the machines had a horse racing theme, it was legal. We walked through, and sure enough, every machine had some kind of horse racing mention, but the games themselves seemed to be basic slot machines.

 

Admittedly, I did not play the slots at the casino because we were there for a short period, but I was quite surprised. Is this a way to get around gambling laws? If so, why aren't other tracks doing this?

 

They call them "instant racing" terminals, where you wager on historic races (and I don't mean "historic" in the sense of Secretariat or Sunday Silence, but more like a random claimer race at Turfway from 15 years ago).

 

It's how they skirt by the anti-gambling laws in the state by keeping it loosely pari-mutuel based.

 

My guess is the money made by it at Red Mile went a lot into their upgrades. Instant racing has also been a boon for Ky Downs in Franklin and basically has saved Ellis Park in Henderson. I have no idea why decrepit Turfway doesn't have it, unless the owners aren't interested in keeping the place open.

They call them "instant racing" terminals, where you wager on historic races (and I don't mean "historic" in the sense of Secretariat or Sunday Silence, but more like a random claimer race at Turfway from 15 years ago).

 

It's how they skirt by the anti-gambling laws in the state by keeping it loosely pari-mutuel based.

 

My guess is the money made by it at Red Mile went a lot into their upgrades. Instant racing has also been a boon for Ky Downs in Franklin and basically has saved Ellis Park in Henderson. I have no idea why decrepit Turfway doesn't have it, unless the owners aren't interested in keeping the place open.

 

It looked like they had all different types of slot machines. As I said, I didn't play any, so I can't be sure. Couldn't believe how much nicer the Red Mile was. Wish Turfway would do something like this. Of course, they are owned by the casino across the river, so I guess it is t in their best interest.

Turfway will have the machines soon.

FLORENCE – Chip Bach doesn’t expect an immediate turnaround in Turfway Park’s fortunes, but he is betting on instant racing to raise the stakes.

 

Bach, the general manager at the Florence track, said thoroughbred racing facilities in Kentucky have struggled financially because of competition from casino gambling and slot machines at tracks in neighboring states. An electronic horse racing game called “instant racing” or “historical racing” could help even the odds.

 

“The day they switched on the casinos, they took 50 percent of our business,” Bach said. “We have been trying to catch up ever since. It’s impossible to compete with the extra revenue they get from casinos.”

 

Bach sketched prospects for improvements at Turfway Park in remarks at the Florence Rotary Club luncheon on Monday, February 29. He noted that Turfway’s signature event, the Spiral Stakes on April 2, is generating a lot of excitement, and Turfway’s latest owners are considering a $10 million investment in the facility.

 

Rock Gaming LLC now owns controlling interest in Turfway Park as well as 100 percent of Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati, Horseshoe Casino Cleveland and Thistledown Racino near Cleveland. Last month the Detroit-based corporation announced plans to change its brand to Jack Entertainment.

 

Bach said the owners plan to make a big move in the area “and feel like we’re important to them.” Instant racing is one of the “big move” strategies Rock Gaming is exploring.

 

“We are hoping it can return us to relevance,” Bach said. Horse racing was once king in Kentucky, but racinos can offer larger purses because of the extra revenue slot machines generate, he added.

 

Instant racing is an electronic game in which bettors wager on races from the past. The machine provides handicapping information but does not disclose the name of the track, the location or the names of the horses and jockeys. The winners are determined by the results of the races, like pari-mutuel wagering. The track gets a cut of the revenue, but bettors actually are competing against each other, Bach said.

 

Kentucky Downs near Bowling Green and Ellis Park outside Henderson have been doing well with instant racing, according to Bach. Instant racing was approved by the Kentucky Racing Commission in 2010 but has been challenged by opponents who claim the machines are actually slot machines, which are illegal in Kentucky. That issue currently is making its way through the court system.

Attorneys representing both sides in the debate over historical racing were back in court this week, arguing whether the machines currently in use at Kentucky Downs comply with the regulations that govern the games.

 

According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, the debate centers around the type of race replay used for the machines – actual video of racing or ‘animated’ racing replays.

 

Stan Cave, the attorney representing the conservative group the Family Foundation, argued against the machines, claiming that they show “cartoons” rather than actual racing videos. Cave said that the games do not meet the legal requirement and should be removed. There are currently 625 machines installed at Kentucky Downs.

 

Cave added that if the “cartoon” games continue to be allowed, it would progress to “cartoon frogs or wiener dog races … and they’ll say it’s tied back to horse racing.”

 

William Hoskins, the attorney for Kentucky Downs, argued that the type of replay was “irrelevant”, and the only question important to the case was whether the betting was pari-mutuel.

 

Historical Racing machines, which are similar to slot machines in appearance, use historical racing data to generate random numbers that determine winners. The devices, which are also called instant racing machines, use data from previously run, but anonymous races to determine payoffs.

 

The terminals are designed with display features that are similar to slot machines to provide a user-friendly experience for wagerers.

For more information on historical racing machines, click here .

 

Turfway Park in Florence received approval from the Kentucky Horse Racing Association in December to install up to 250 Historical Racing Machines.

 

Turfway is working with contractors and vendors to determine the best way to integrate the machines but no timetable for construction or installation has been announced.

 

The machines are expected to be installed on the first floor in the area that houses the Race Book. Turfway Park General Manager Chip Bach said there is adequate space to install the devices and continue to offer race wagering on the floor, which is located at track level.

 

Cavernous Turfway Park also has space to install additional machines if the devices are successful. The fourth floor of the five-level structure is largely vacant much of the year.

 

Franklin Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wingate asked whether the games allowed players to bet win, place, or show on the races, “just like the racetracks do,” and Hoskins responded yes.

 

According to the Herald-Leader, both sides discussed the issue for over an hour. Wingate then said he would rule on the matter within a week.

With Kentucky's rich and sometimes notorious history of casinos it would be good get them legal again.

 

Williams leading the anti-casino charge while taking Indiana casino perks should be investigated. Its sort of clear what was going on. Causes one to wonder how many others are the pocket of Indiana casinos.