Slots Casino Operated by Churchill Downs Could Operate 16 Hours a Day
Churchill Downs Inc, the owner and operator of racetrack venues throughout the United States, has agreed to reduce the hours of slots operations at the New Orleans Fair Grounds to 16 hours per day. This number is much larger than what neighboring communities would have hoped for, however, considerably smaller than the casino's original expectations. The New Orleans City Planning Commission will likely decide on the matter at its meeting on June 16.
Andrew Skehan, CEO of Churchill Downs, was reported as saying that in order to obtain the commission’s approval for 16 hours of slots operation per day, the casino would be willing to sponsor police patrols across the slots casino’s surrounding neighborhoods. According to Skehan, police would guard neighborhoods during the hours during which slots are played.
Churchill Downs acquired the bankrupt racetrack after slots operation was approved by the 2003 referendum. According to Louisiana state law, the company is authorized to install 500 slot machines by July 1, and an additional 200 slots by 2006.
