'One step, one little thing for change could be something huge like that casino could help with bringing in investments and bringing in people,' Mucker said. The idea of a more prosperous future is also on the minds of some of Parlour’s servers, like Louisville native Kameron Mucker. 'Any new business, especially one as a casino, will always bring more workers, will always bring more people, will always bring more popularity to Louisville,' Lechner said. Lechner is looking forward to visitors and tourists discovering her pizza pot, which sits a couple blocks from the new site. (Churchill Downs Inc.)įollowing the announcement from Churchill Downs on Thursday about a new betting facility, restaurants in the heart of downtown said it's welcome news as it fills them with new optimism. Its current Derby City Gaming venue is in South Louisville, a few miles from the track.An exterior rendering of Derby City Gaming Downtown to be open in 2023. Lawmakers passed a measure this year intended to fix the flaws cited by the court.Ĭhurchill already operates another historical horse racing betting facility in Louisville. Those ventures were jeopardized last year when Kentucky’s Supreme Court ruled that at least some forms of wagering on historical horse racing didn’t meet pari-mutuel wagering standards.

Churchill said its new entertainment venue will include an open-air gaming area, bars and a retail store featuring for Kentucky Derby-themed merchandise.Ĭasino gaming is illegal in Kentucky, but the state legislature has allowed historical horse racing venues to operate. Louisville has become an increasingly big draw for bourbon tourists visiting downtown distilleries. It will be strategically situated near the downtown convention center and a number of hotels. The development will create 350 construction jobs and more than 100 permanent jobs once the venue opens, the company said. “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,” he said. The venture will benefit the entire community and will generate $10 million to $12 million per year in additional purse money for races at Churchill Downs, Churchill Downs Inc.

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