Louisville-based Churchill Downs Inc. opened Owensboro Racing & Gaming in western Kentucky near the southern Indiana border last week. The company’s seventh historical horse racing entertainment venue in the commonwealth welcomed more than 1,000 customers through the doors within the first hour of business on Feb. 12.

Steve Roof, the venue’s general manager, welcomed patrons and acknowledged partnerships that led to the opening during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“This project has been a true collaboration between Churchill Downs, our local elected officials and many others who are committed to bringing a world-class entertainment venue to Owensboro,” Roof said to the crowd. 

The $100 million gaming and entertainment venue is less than an hour from Evansville and about 90 minutes from Louisville.

“You’ll see a lot of billboards both on the Indiana side and the Kentucky side and coming in from the Louisville area, from the Rockport area, all over Henderson [Kentucky] and Evansville,” Roof told Inside INdiana Business. 

The Owensboro Racing & Gaming project created 200 construction jobs and 220 permanent jobs. The 24/7 facility is expected to generate around $125 million in annual regional economic impact. 

Candance Brake, president and CEO of the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, praised the staff for working around the clock to prepare for the venue’s debut.

“We want to thank you for believing in our community and for taking this step to put us even for another reason to come to Owensboro and another reason to stay,” Brake said on opening day.

The eastern Daviess County property will be an annex of Ellis Park Racing & Gaming in Henderson and support purse funding for Ellis Park’s summer racing meet.

CDI’s expansion

Roof, who’s been with CDI for more than four years, said the company continuously searches for growth opportunities. CDI acquired Ellis Park in 2022 and opened Terre Haute Casino Resort in Vigo County in 2024. 

“They’ve got an entire development team, so they’re always looking for new projects, new places,” said Roof. 

The Owensboro Racing & Gaming endeavor has been in motion for a few years. At one point, the venue was supposed to occupy part of the former Towne Square Mall on Frederica Street. 

“We were looking at renovating the JCPenney building in the mall in the city limits. But the city has a no-smoking ban, so we ended up not being able to have that overturned,” Roof said. “We came out and bought the property outside the city limits in the county. And then that way we could have a smoking section…totally enclosed and away from the non-smoking.”

The venue’s new location is a 20-acre site just east of Owensboro at the corner of U.S. Hwy. 60 and Wrights Landing Rd.

“Owensboro’s newest entertainment destination will drive new tourism, entertainment and economic opportunities in eastern Daviess County,” said CDI CEO Bill Carstanjen in a news release.

The new venue

Owensboro Racing & Gaming features 600 historical horse racing machines. HHR is electronic gaming that allows players to bet on past horse races that are random and anonymous. The new facility also has a retail sportsbook and simulcast wagering. 

Roof said while the venue “has a Vegas vibe to it,” customers will also notice decor that pays homage to Churchill Downs.

“You’ll see jockey mannequins with racing silks on. You’ll see saddle blankets for the past four Kentucky Derby winners. You’ll see horse prints in different places in the Track Kitchen. There’s a mural. It looks like a horse race coming right at you. And then as you get up close to it, you’re going to see various Kentucky Derby logos over the last 150 years. You’ll see the Twin Spires, the Churchill Downs grandstand,” he said.

Food and beverage options include the Track Kitchen, Starting Gate Bar & Lounge and Center Bar. There’s also a gathering area with seating and an entertainment stage flanked by bourbon barrels from local distillery Green River Distilling Co. 

“[The stage is] big enough for a small, three or four-piece local band. We’ll do a lot of local artists on Fridays and Saturdays,” Roof said. “If people just want to come and watch a game or watch a horse race and not even place a bet, it’s a beautiful facility to bring some friends on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday night. Have a couple drinks, have a meal, watch their favorite sporting event or team play and enjoy the night that way.” 

Though 150 permanent jobs were originally projected, Roof bumped the staffing number to 220 after assessing the facility’s needs. 

“I wanted to make sure we had plenty of team members to be able to give the excellent customer service that our customers expect and that I expect,” he said. “We have drawn several people [to work here] from the Evansville area, southern Indiana, western Kentucky. It’s not only Owensboro or the Daviess County area; it’s all the surrounding regional areas.”

Opening day

Right before the ribbon cutting on Feb. 12, Owensboro Gaming & Racing donated proceeds from a VIP event to two local nonprofit organizations. Fight Like a Dozer—which supports families dealing with pediatric cancer—and the Opportunity Center of Owensboro—which supports people with disabilities—each received $10,000. 

“From the moment [Owensboro Racing & Gaming] came into our office at the Chamber of Commerce, we knew that they were going to be an amazing corporate citizen,” Brake said to the crowd.

Since opening day, several people have won jackpots, including one for more than $21,000. Roof said he’s also received positive feedback about the venue and its atmosphere.

“So many compliments about our great team members. Just compliment after compliment on the smiles, the personalities, the way they treat the customers,” he said.

As the staff members settle into their routines, Roof reasoned expanding food options may be possible in the near future.

“We want to have a menu that’s nice and pleasing, but that can be consistent and out quickly. I don’t want people waiting 30 minutes for food. I want them to come in, place an order, get their food in 10 minutes or so and they can sit down and enjoy it and eat it,” he said.

Roof also said collaborations with area hotels to provide shuttle service and other gaming benefits might be feasible. 

“There are plenty of hotels. Even five minutes away at the next couple exits up, there are lots of hotels, but we have partnerships with the Hampton Inn in downtown Owensboro and also Town Place [Suites] closer to our venue.” 

Roof is confident that customers will have more than one reason to choose Owensboro Racing & Gaming over its southern Indiana competitors, which include Bally’s Evansville Casino & Hotel, French Lick Resort and Caesar’s Southern Indiana near Louisville. 

“It’s obviously brand new. People are going to want to come see it for that. But to be honest, it’s going to be our customer service and our people. The people that we have love to be here,” he said.

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