Churchill Downs revenue soars despite California’s dead horses

Casino, betting and online gambling operator Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) reported soaring revenue in the first quarter of 2019 following its year of brick-and-mortar acquisitions and the launch of a pseudo-slots business.

Figures released Wednesday show CDI generated revenue of $265.4m in the three months ending March 31, a 40% improvement over the same period last year. Earnings were up 52% to $74.6m but net income fell to $11.6m from $182m in Q1 2018.

Lest anyone panic, it bears mentioning that Q1 2018’s profits were artificially boosted by $168.3m via the sale of CDI’s social gaming unit Big Fish Games to Australia’s Aristocrat Leisure Ltd.

CDI has traveled a long way since its days as a pure racing operator, so the company has restructured its financial reporting into three new segments: Churchill Downs (pari-mutuel wagering at Churchill Downs Racetrack and historical racing at Derby City Gaming), Online Wagering (the TwinSpires advance deposit wagering site plus online sports betting and iGaming), and Gaming (land-based casino and jai-alai operations). Past results have been recalculated to reflect this realignment.