Churchill Downs Weighs Selling Oxford Casino to Fund Horse Racing, Kentucky Derby

Churchill Downs Incorporated is considering a sale of Oxford Casino Hotel and Sportsbook, one of eight gaming properties the company listed as sale candidates in a Form 8-K, dated July 29, 2026, filed with securities regulators. Churchill Downs said any proceeds would support its horse-racing business, including the Churchill Downs Racetrack, the Kentucky Derby and the TwinSpires wagering platform, and cautioned that no sale is guaranteed and no timetable has been set.

The Oxford property has been owned by Churchill Downs since 2013, when the company paid Black Bear Entertainment roughly $160 million for it. The casino opened in June 2012, expanded later that year, and now runs about 955 slot machines priced from a penny to $5 per spin, plus 22 table games.

Churchill Downs' second-quarter 2026 report put Oxford's Maine net revenue at $26 million for April and May of 2026, down from $28 million over the same stretch in 2025 and among the lowest totals in the company's casino portfolio, though still above its properties in Florida, Iowa and Mississippi. Maine takes a 46 percent cut of net slot revenue and 16 percent of net table-game revenue from the casino, which added up to over $3 million monthly for the state during the first three months of 2026.

This story was first reported by WMTW.