Churchill Downs to open Derby City Gaming in downtown Louisville
The Churchill Downs Inc. footprint continues to grow in Louisville ahead of Kentucky Derby 150 next year.
In June, the company announced the completion and opening of Derby City Gaming on Poplar Level Road, a hotel, culinary and sports betting experience.
Now, Churchill Downs is gearing up for the opening of its second Derby City Gaming location at 140 S. 4th St. in downtown Louisville, just a 12-minute drive from the iconic twin spires track.
The 43,000-square-foot entertainment venue, which was originally announced in 2021, is slated to open on Dec. 6, exactly 150 days before the 150th Run for the Roses, held on May 4, 2024.
The $90 million facility will be focused on gaming and entertainment, providing visitors with 500 historical racing machines, a "fresh air" gaming area, a sports bar, a bourbon library, a wine and charcuterie lounge and a stage for live music. The business is expected to create 100 permanent jobs in Louisville.
“Our [historical racing machines] expansion will be a win for the entire community in the Louisville area and will create $10 to $12 million per year in additional purse money for Churchill Downs Racetrack. It is important that Louisville is a city that is thriving — a great place to live, work and visit and we are committed to helping create economic vibrancy for every area of our community," Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Inc. said in a 2021 statement.
Preparing for Kentucky Derby 150
Churchill Downs is a key player in the local tourism industry with the first weekend in May marked by tens of thousands of visitors to Louisville to join in the Kentucky Oaks and Derby pageantry and horse racing.
Churchill Downs created $401,866,455 in economic impact from the Kentucky Derby this year, Rosanne Mastin, marketing communications manager at Louisville Tourism, previously told the Courier Journal.
Aside from completing construction of the new downtown gaming venue, Churchill Downs has been updating many of the spaces at its iconic track.
The roughly $200 million paddock project and the $14 million Jockey Club Suites renovation projects are both on track to be completed by the end of April, a company executive said during the third quarter earnings call Wednesday.
"Our focus right now is delivering ... a spectacular Kentucky Derby 150," a company executive said during the call.
The new paddock is expected to create 3,600 new premium reserved seats and 3,250 new standing room only premium tickets. The project will also upgrade an existing 3,700 premium seats.
The larger paddock will provide a better viewing of the horses prior to racing for spectators and create new hospitality and amenities for guests in the clubhouse area.
Churchill Downs is reporting that it is "nearly sold out" of premium seating tickets ahead of Kentucky Derby 150.
"I encourage you to purchase tickets right away while there's still inventory," a company executive said.
