When Kentucky legalized sports betting in 2023 Churchill Downs decided to lean heavily into retail sports betting at its facilities via a partnership with Kambi. However, the gaming companyhas decided that continuing that push at its namesake track in Louisville is no longer worth the effort.
Churchill Downs spokesperson Danny Rogers explained the decision to the Louisville Courier-Journal.
“With 98% of sports betting made on mobile platforms such as FanDuel, there simply isn’t a profitable path forward for us to sustain profitability as a retail operator,” he said. “We’re going to focus our time and resources elsewhere.”
Betting on site at Churchill Downs ended on Feb. 9. Bettors can redeem winning tickets at the racetrack through Feb. 16.
Brick & mortar betting will continue at other Churchill Downs-owned properties like Turfway Park and Derby City Gaming.
The Churchill Downs retail sportsbook, which included 15 betting kiosks and a large video board to watch sports, was far and away the most popular in-person sportsbook in Kentucky. Through December 2024, the property accepted $49 million in bets but produced only $3 million in adjusted gross revenue.
Arguably the bigger success story is the retail sportsbook at Red Mile in Lexington. The location has taken $28.8 million in wagers and generated $3.1 million in revenue. The remaining $3 million in retail adjusted gross revenue is divided among the six other retail locations in the state.
Churchill Downs works with Kambi for retail sports betting but also has high profile online sportsbook partnerships. FanDuel obtained its license through Turfway Park, ESPN Bet works with Ellis Park and Fanatics is partnered with Oak Grove.
The news coincides with the announcement that Churchill Downs is one of the land-based casino companies behind the National Association Against iGaming (NAAiG). When online gambling first started expanding with the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), the brand went headfirst into the new vertical. The company first rolled out BetAmerica as the online brand, then pivoted to TwinSpires before ultimately shutting down online sports betting and casino operations in 2022.
