Kentucky regulators approve electronic table game themes

By a near-unanimous decision, the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corp. voted to approve historical horse-racing machines to offer electronic table-game themes at its terminals.

The initial application requested a roulette-themed game, but KHRGC vice president of gaming Travers Manley told commissioners to expect additional themes and suggested approving allowing electronic table game themes in general and not roulette specifically.

In his role as a KHRGC director, Thoroughbred trainer and U.S. Senate candidate Dale Romans spoke in favor of the expansion.

"We can't get complacent," he said. "We have to stay competitive. There are live casinos right now all along the Kentucky border that our racetracks are competing with."

"I really believe these machines allow Kentucky to remain competitive with the competition from adjoining states," former Hermitage Farm manager and current KHRGC director Bill Landes said.

The lone dissenting vote came from Catherine Parke, owner of Valkrye Stud near Lexington. She had inquired about the design of electronic table-game-themed historical horse-racing machines not including imagery of a horse.

A representative of Churchill Downs Inc., which developed the machines in association with its Exacta Systems and a partnership with Interblock Luxury Gaming Products, was noncommittal about a design change, citing Interblock as the primary force behind the aesthetics.

"Our development partner Interblock actually makes all the terminals," CDI senior vice preisdent Justin Paul said. "The terminals are used elsewhere outside historical horse racing as well, so I'm not sure how feasible it would be to change out the signage and physical components of the machines." 

KHRGC chairman Jonathan Rabinowitz asked Paul to look into such changes.

"I know you can't commit to that, but can you guys look into that," he asked.

It was unclear when historical horse-racing licensees can begin using the new machines.