Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear will place the state's first ceremonial sports wager Thursday during the grand opening ceremony of the Churchill Downs Race & Sports Book. The ceremony begins at 9:45 a.m. and the governor will place his wager at 10 a.m.
Other dignitaries expected to be in attendance include Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and the First Lady of Louisville Rachel Greenberg; Ray A. Perry, Secretary, Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet; Jonathan Rabinowitz, Chairman, Kentucky Horse Racing Commission; Representative Al Gentry; and Cleo Battle, President & CEO of Louisville Tourism.
Area sports celebrities Darrell Griffith, Bobby Perry, Dale Romans, Will Wolford and Eric Wood are expected to be on hand as well.
The Churchill Downs Race & Sports Book is located in the remodeled Aristides Lounge on the second floor of the track's Clubhouse. The 8,755 sq. ft. space showcases a massive TV wall, including a new 7′ x 24′ LED video screen and a dozen 90″ televisions. The large area has an additional 16 large-format TVs for sports and horse racing, 15 sports betting kiosks, seven horse betting kiosks, six betting windows with tellers, a bar and seating for more than 280 guests.
The Churchill Downs Race & Sports Book will be open to the general public Thursday at 11 a.m. and betting will continue until 11:30 p.m. Guests must be at least 18 years old to wager and enter the Churchill Downs Race & Sports Book.
Online sports betting in Kentucky will begin Sept. 28. Churchill Downs Incorporated has partnered with FanDuel, Penn Sports Interactive and Fanatics as its three online sports wagering service providers.
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