When Sandy’s Racing & Gaming opens in Ashland this October, customers can expect a Las Vegas sports betting experience.
That’s according to John Marshall, President and COO of Revolutionary Racing, which owns Sandy’s Racing & Gaming.
“We are outfitted for a Las Vegas-style sportsbook,” Marshall told PlayKentucky this month in an exclusive interview. “(With) three screens, horse racing, parimutuel and sports betting customers all integrated (into the) same space. (There will also be) food service and beverage service.”
In terms of what brand the Sandy’s retail sportsbook will be, Marshall said they’ve selected their desired partner and are working through final details. He said the partner is “a big name you would recognize.” A spokesperson for Revolutionary Racing told PlayKentucky on Tuesday there should be news within the next two weeks regarding their KY sports betting partner.
Where is Sandy’s Racing & Gaming?
Sandy’s is currently being built in the former location of a Sears department store in what was once the KYOVA Mall. That center is smack dab in the middle of the Camp Landing Entertainment District in Ashland, Kentucky.
Developers expect the grand opening to fall near Halloween in late October, according Marshall.
The 74,000-square-foot Sandy’s gaming parlor will be the first of its kind in Eastern Kentucky. The facility will have more than 40,000 square feet of gaming space, much of it occupied by historical horse racing machines.
Construction has created 200 jobs, and 200 more jobs are coming
The project is a boon to the region. Marshall estimates there are currently 200 construction jobs on site, all of it union labor.
On the operations side, an Aug. 10 job fair at Boyd County Community Center will fill many positions for Sandy’s. There will be more job fairs in the area to follow this summer. Marshall says Sandy’s will fill 200 full-time equivalent positions.
The company strives for a diverse workforce, and will cater to both full and part-time. When the facility opens, initially hours are planned to be 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday-Friday, and 4 a.m. on weekends.
The gaming parlor will offer much for consumers to enjoy.
“We are built for live entertainment,” Marshall said. “Our center bar, branded the Sand Bar, will have a stage. Visitors will be treated to dueling pianos, acoustic acts.”
Explaining historical horse racing
The term historic horse racing (HHR) is oft-misunderstood. Most Kentuckians who have experience with horse racing tracks, or casino game play, have probably heard of them. But there can be confusion over the term.
HHR in Kentucky is simply a technology that can randomly create winners in a slot-style machine. Just like other slot machines use random generators, HHR machines rely on historic horse racing results to randomly assign participants and winners that are matched up with game play. Just like Category 3 slot machines you find in most casinos, HHR machines are regulated by the state and provide safe, legitimate results for the consumer.
“We will have the most modern and sophisticated HHR gaming facility in the country when we open this fall,” Marshall said.
The new Sandy’s Gaming parlor will feature 672 HHR casino-style games.
That includes the game “Rakin’ Bacon,” which will be available as an HHR title. Sandy’s will be one of the first places it can be played as an HHR game.
Sandy’s location may make it a destination for customers in neighboring Ohio and West Virginia.
The venture is being funded jointly by ELS Gaming, Revolutionary Racing, and EBCI Holdings, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
A phase two of this project will add a quarter horse race track to Ashland, under the name Sandy’s Racing. That project is expected to be finished by spring of 2025. It will feature quarter horse racing, an equestrian center, rodeo, livestock, dog shows and a space for a farmers market.