Kentucky regulators on Tuesday approved roulette-themed electronic terminals for historical horse racing (HHR), reversing earlier opposition to allowing table game-style products in a state that does not permit live table games at brick-and-mortar casinos.
The Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation (KHRGC) voted to authorize table game themes on HHR machines following a joint request from electronic table game supplier Interblock and Exacta Systems, a Churchill Downs-owned technology provider. The companies developed a roulette-themed HHR terminal that Gaming Labs International certified as compliant with state gaming standards.
Several board members said the move was needed to help Kentucky remain competitive with neighboring states such as Indiana, where live table games are available. “I really believe these machines allow Kentucky to stay competitive with the adjoining states that already have table games,” KHRGC Director William Landes told the board. “And if GLI approves, I think that goes a long way.”
The approval was not unanimous. Catherine Parke, a KHRGC board member and Valkyre Stud owner, questioned whether the machines should use the word “roulette” and suggested replacing it with horse imagery. Parke cast the lone vote against the measure. Justin Paul, Churchill Downs’ senior vice president of operations, said modifying the terminals may not be feasible because “the terminals are used elsewhere outside historical horse racing as well,” but added the company would look into potential adjustments.
Exacta and Interblock plan to seek further approvals for HHR machines incorporating other table game themes, including poker and blackjack. Each proposed game will undergo the regulator’s suitability review, and the KHRGC has not announced when the roulette-themed terminals will be introduced.
The decision marks a notable shift in Kentucky’s approach to HHR terminal designs. In 2023, KHRGC Chairman Jonathan Rabinowitz told WDRB News he would reject any effort to authorize such products, saying, “I will tell you right now, no.”
Regulators had previously resisted table game-styled terminals following a 2020 Kentucky Supreme Court ruling that found HHR did not qualify as parimutuel wagering. Lawmakers reinstated the product in 2021 through Senate Bill 120, which relegalized HHR statewide.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2025/12/04/116622-kentucky-regulators-approve-table-gamethemed-hhr-terminals-after-earlier-resistance
