Oh and how could I almost forget my favorite the taste of a vanilla ice cream cone, dipped in chocolate! They are the best ice cream cones and can be purchased at the Paddock Concession stand. The twin spires are a beautiful site, and what I would call a "local landmark." They stand tall over the fast track, screaming fans and brave thoroughbreds. I would call Churchill Downs, Louisville's Disney World. Churchill Downs is irreplaceable and I cannot imagine the sense of loss my community would feel if this legendary racetrack and its famous horse race were terminated due to people spending their gambling money at casinos in surrounding states. .
Kentucky's thoroughbred industry needs video terminal gambling to compete against these riverboat casinos in Indiana and Illinois. This has been discussed for over ten years and is still an unresolved debate. "Since 1993, Churchill Downs and other racetracks have asked for slots to compete against Indiana's riverboat casinos. But no law maker ever introduced a bill." (Haukebo). Gaming in the state of Kentucky should be legally expanded to include video terminals at Kentucky racetracks. Video terminals at racetracks would keep Kentuckians" money in Kentucky and would keep Kentucky's thoroughbred race horsing industry alive. .
There are presently six states within the United States that have legalized slot machines or video terminals at their racetracks and refer to them as "Racinos". The states are Delaware, Iowa, Louisiana, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and West Virginia. "Here's how racinos work, and why fans, breeders, and track owners like the idea":.
Racetracks install slots, generally thousands at a time, onsite. Racing fans, presumably between races, spend a few dollars on the slots. The income made by the track, after sizable payouts to the state and the lottery system, is funneled back in the form of bigger purses for each race. The difference between a racino- funded purse and one without slot money can be as much as $175,000 (Timmons 76) .