The Kentucky House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday night that will legalize historical horse racing machines in the state.
The bill changes the definition of pari-mutuel wagering in Kentucky statutes to include the historical horse racing machines, which closely resemble slot machines.
It passed the House by a 55-38 vote after several floor amendments were defeated and several Republican members spoke out against the bill. Tuesday, it passed the Senate by a 22-15 vote.
Up next, the bill heads to Governor Andy Beshear for his signature. Earlier this week, the governor said he would sign it into law.
A historical horse racing machine is a cross between a video game and a slot machine. A past race with no identifiers is selected from a library of thousands of previous races. The player deposits their wager, receives handicapping information, and picks the order of finish.
Also known as instant racing, Kentucky Downs in Franklin first installed the terminals in 2011. Ellis Park in Henderson followed in 2013 and the Red Mile in Lexington installed them in 2015.
The bill became necessary after a Kentucky Supreme Court ruling last year that the machines may not be considered a legal form of pari-mutuel wagering. The horse racing industry argued the closure of facilities with the historical racing terminals would have a negative impact on business and result in substantial job losses.
Ellis Park General Manager Jeff Inman said last month that without the machines, which supply nearly 70-percent of the track’s purse money, the 99-year-old race track would have to close.
The recently-opened Oak Grove Racing, Gaming, and Hotel also has historic machines that will benefit from the bill’s passage.
