11-02-2025
The Big Bet: Owensboro Racing & Gaming ready for grand opening
The head of Owensboro Racing & Gaming, Churchill Downs' $100 million new gaming facility in east Daviess County, is ready for its grand opening Wednesday.
Steve Roof, Owensboro Racing & Gaming's general manager, said Monday the 77,500 square-foot facility will have its grand opening at 11 a.m. Wednesday.
Roof took reporters on a tour of the facility Monday morning, and the gaming center had a soft opening Monday afternoon.
'We've got about 600 historical horse racing games,' Roof said.
Churchill Downs broke ground for the new facility, which is at the intersection of U.S. 60 East and Wright's Landing Road, in January of last year. The project came together smoothly, Roof said.
'There were about 200 construction jobs this whole last year or so, and we've got about 220 permanent jobs working here,' Roof said.
'We've had a lot of people from corporate involved handling a lot of the construction side, a lot of the IT side. There were lots of hands from different people,' Roof said. 'Thankfully, we've got a strong organization.
'It has been relatively easy, much easier than I thought,' Roof said.
The facility includes a sports betting section, a bar area, a stage and two restaurants — The Starting Gate and The Track Kitchen — in the nonsmoking potion. The building can accommodate 2,900 people at the same time, Roof said.
The building is divided into nonsmoking and smoking sections, with 350 gaming machines in the nonsmoking area and 250 machines in the smoking area, Roof said.
The smoking area is separated from the nonsmoking area by a vestibule, and the area is designed to keep smoke from escaping into the nonsmoking section, Roof said.
'All of the smoke is going to be contained,' Roof said.
The business has Owensboro touches, such as bourbon barrel decorations from Green River Distillery, and has a specialty beer that will be on-tap from Brew Bridge, Roof said.
'We are trying to work with different people in the community' and different organizations, Roof said. 'We are trying to make sure we in the community and working with the community.'
Proceeds from Monday's gaming went to the Opportunity Center of Owensboro, which provides training and support to people with disabilities, and to Fight Like A Dozer. Roof said Fight Like A Dozer assists families of children with pediatric cancer by providing rent and mortgage payments.
'My seven year-old grandson, when he was 18 months old, found out he had testicular cancer,' Roof said. 'I know the toll it takes on a family.'
Having financial support while dealing with pediatric cancer 'definitely helps folks,' Roof said.
The facility is an important part of Churchill Downs' corporate strategy, Roof said. Churchill Downs is predominately known for horse racing, and facilities like Owensboro Racing & Gaming play a role in supporting the racing industry, Roof said.
'It's very important to the business model,' Roof said. 'A lot of the proceeds from the gaming, the tax dollars go back into horse racing purse accounts, so Ellis Park, Churchill Downs and different places can have better purses for horses.
'It's growing the horse racing industry,' Roof said. Events like the Kentucky Derby, and horse racing, are 'our bread and butter,' so proceeds from the gaming center allows Churchill 'to continue to grow the horse racing business in the state of Kentucky.'
Managing Churchill Downs' news gaming facility is a bit of a homecoming, Roof said.
'I'm from Paducah, but I came to Owensboro August of '85 and started college at Kentucky Wesleyan,' Roof said. 'I graduated a proud Kentucky Wesleyan graduate.
'Kentucky Wesleyan, Owensboro and Daviess County are all pretty special to us,' Roof said. 'I kind of consider it our second home.'
