Historical horse racing devices (HHRs) in Kentucky saw 14% more revenue in February. On a same-store basis, minus the Owensboro and Marshall Yards slot parlors, they were up 12%. Marshall Yards didn’t open until February 25.
For the first quarter, Kentucky HHRs are tracking well ahead of J.P. Morgan analyst projections. They are up 17.1% compared to the 12.3% modeled by Morgan.
Marshall Yards, despite its brief tenure in the market, was the leading per-machine contributor. Its 190 terminals averaged $1,011 per day for a $600,000 take.
The largest HHR facility in the Bluegrass State was Derby City at Churchill Downs’ titular track. Its 1,233 machines averaged $511 apiece for a $17.7 million haul, up 4.3% from February 2025.
The Oak Grove racino is almost as massive, boasting 1,224 HHRs. It took in $14.9 million, a 9.2% increase. Oak Grove averaged $436 per slot per day.
The biggest year-over-year increase was in Newport, which leapt 18.7% to $3.5 million. It averaged $277 per each of its 449 gambling devices.
Turfway Park’s HHRs saw a 16.6% jump in business, up to $6.6 million. It averaged $291 per HHR, across 809 machines.
There was also a double-digit leap at Ellis Park, where revenue was up 14% to $2.2 million. Its 297 slots averaged $261 daily.
The newish Owensboro slot parlor averaged $286 per day with its 598 HHR machines for a total haul of $4.8 million. The rear was brought up by Derby City Downtown, in Louisville. Its 440 machines averaged just $126 apiece for $1.6 million in revenue. Nevertheless, that was a 2.8% increase over 2025.
Churchill Downs’ share of Kentucky’s HHR business came to $51.8 million, spread across 5,240 devices. They averaged $353 per machine.
