The Kentucky Derby is not the one factor bringing enjoyable to the Churchill Downs space

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The Kentucky Derby might be run for the 152nd time at Churchill Downs this weekend. Once extra, BJ Leiderman, who writes our theme music, will not be entered. And the prize cash for horse house owners throughout this week’s largest races is a report $19.1 million. Justin Hicks with Louisville Public Media stories chunk of that prize cash comes from playing that occurs far-off from the observe.

JUSTIN HICKS, BYLINE: About 5 miles from Churchill Downs in downtown Louisville is Derby City Gaming. It’s a giant corridor owned by the racetrack with almost 500 brightly flashing machines. And they’ve themes like pandas and eagles on them, however not a single horse in sight. And to most individuals, they seem like slots.

(SOUNDBITE OF SLOT MACHINE BLEEPING)

HICKS: Now, I’ve received $40 simply burning a gap in my pocket, so I settle in on an digital roulette machine with an actual ball and wheel and guess $3 on even.

Come on. Even quantity, even quantity, even quantity, even quantity. Thirty-five. Great.

Travers Manley is with the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation, which regulates locations like these. He says I should not be fooled by the massive pink neon signal above my head that claims roulette.

TRAVERS MANLEY: This will not be a ball spinning on the roulette wheel. This is simply one other entertaining illustration of a historic horse race.

HICKS: What he means is that someplace deep inside the heart of this sport, a horse race from the previous is taking part in out after which will get translated into the outcomes of this not-roulette roulette wheel. In Kentucky, solely horse tracks like Churchill Downs can personal video games like these, and so they should be based mostly on racing. Travers says simply final 12 months, folks wagered greater than $11 billion on these machines.

MANLEY: The improve within the amount of cash coming from the historic horse racing and the purses going up – that has had a serious impression.

HICKS: An impression on the standard of horses at Kentucky tracks. Experts say that is as a result of these historic horse race machines are a subsidy of types for the racing business. And due to them, Kentucky is now in a position to supply extra prize cash to horse house owners than another state.

For NPR News, I’m Justin Hicks in Louisville. Transcript supplied by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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