Henderson Judge Supports Kentucky Sportsbook At Ellis Park

Written By Steve Schult on August 2, 2023 - Last Updated on August 3, 2023
Henderson judge Ellis Park sportsbook

When Kentucky passed sports betting legislation last March, it barely got enough votes to pass the legislature.

However, most local government officials appear to support the new industry. Several Lexington-based lawmakers supported the upcoming Kentucky sports betting market.

Now, Henderson County Judge Executive Brad Schneider told PlayKentucky that he also supports the gambling expansion.

Ellis Park, a Churchill Downs-owned racetrack and site of a future retail sportsbook in Henderson County, is within Schneider’s jurisdiction. Schneider views the track’s sports betting addition as positive for several reasons.

Sports betting tax revenue in Kentucky is ‘voluntary’

Regarding taxes and personal choice, Schneider described himself as a libertarian. In other words, he’s not a fan of the government taking your money and would like society to have as much freedom as possible.

In this case, that freedom means sports betting.

But he supports sports betting tax revenue because it’s not mandatory. If you don’t wager, you won’t fund government coffers.

“I’m a big fan of voluntary taxes,” Schneider told PlayKentucky. “If you don’t want to pay taxes on sports betting, you don’t have to pay it.”

Even though he referenced libertarianism in the tax sense, Schneider holds a very hands-off belief when it came to sports betting.

Kentuckians were already gambling, so let them bet on sports

Kentucky is one of the more restrictive states in the country regarding gambling. But Kentucky horse racing has been around for more than a century and the Kentucky lottery has been available since 1989.

And in areas like Henderson, residents could make a short trip to the Indiana side of the border and gamble at the state’s casinos — or, more recently, bet at retail sportsbooks or on sports betting apps.

Aside from Missouri, every state sharing a border with Kentucky already has legal sports betting. Most have land-based casinos as well.

Since residents were already gambling in a few different forms, Schneider didn’t see any risk in sports betting coming to his community.

“I have no problem with sports betting,” Schneider said. “It’s ubiquitous now.”

He added that since people want to bet on sports, there’s no reason not to legalize it.

“It’s just another form of entertainment that’s been around for a long time,” Schneider said. “It’s just another form of evolution about providing people with what they want.”

Sports betting legislation favored Kentucky horse racing

Lastly, Schneider was a fan of the way HB 551 was structured.

The state’s horse tracks and their affiliated simulcast facilities and HHR gaming halls are the only venues eligible to have brick-and-mortar sportsbooks. Additionally, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission is the regulatory agency tasked with overseeing the new industry.

Online operators must partner with one of those brick-and-mortar facilities to gain access to the market.

The horse racing industry has control of sports betting and Schneider likes that.

“I think the way that Kentucky crafted the legislation so that it helps the horse racing tracks, which we have one (in Henderson), is really good,” Schneider said. “It will help the thoroughbred tracks around the state for years to come.”

Photo by AP / Garry Jones
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Steve Schult

The Managing Editor of PlayKentucky, Steve Schult is a veteran of the gambling industry with more than a decade of experience covering the space. After earning his journalism degree from Marist College, the New York native began covering high-stakes poker tournaments and the U.S. gambling industry for various outlets. Following stints as a writer for Card Player Media, Bluff Magazine and the World Series of Poker, Schult joined Catena Media and has managed coverage for a handful of states.

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