Director, Commonwealth Policy Center

Churchill Downs and Keeneland announced a partnership to expand gambling into eastern and western Kentucky. They promised to "create hundreds of new jobs and stimulate economic growth" What they're talking about isn't actual horse racing, but rather instant racing machines which are glorified slot machines. It's questionable whether they're legal. We need to further ask whether casinos the kind of foundation for a stable economy? Are they a sound revenue source for governments to depend upon? Local officials and economic development professionals ought to resist promises of a new and easy revenue pipeline and ask the tough questions about what casinos do to local communities.  We all want economic growth and businesses to move in, but when some of the new players come in with a loaded deck, its time to put the brakes on.