Churchill Downs prepares for Louisiana reopening after Hurricane Ida

The Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots property and 15 off-track betting locations were closed by the hurricane – one of the most powerful to hit the US Gulf Coast – which hit the state on August 29. 

The most powerful hurricane to hit Louisiana since Hurricane Katrina has left approximately 240,832 residents without power as of September 9, according to PowerOutages.US. 

CDI said it was evaluating the damage to its Louisiana properties as it develops a plan for reopening the venues. It has property insurance, including business interruption coverage, subject to deductibles, the operator noted. 

Employees of Fair Grounds and the OTBs will continue to receive their pay and benefits, while CDI is providing additional assistance to team members affected by the hurricane. 

Gaming revenue from Fair Grounds and Video Services – a subsidiary business acquired alongside the venue in 2004 – amounted to $73.4m in the first half of 2021. The state’s OTBs are to be enhanced by historical horse racing machines, where customers bet on the outcome of randomised past races, after legislation was signed into law in Q2 of 2021.