^{With the acquisition of the Birmingham Racecourse and Casino, will the Poarch Band of Creek Indians be able to take gaming in Alabama to a new level? (Image: 1819 News)}

Wind Creek Hospitality, a firm owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, has entered into an agreement to acquire the Birmingham Racecourse and Casino from the McGregor family, which has owned the track since 1992.

The sale of the facility is expected to be finalized in early 2025.

Racecourse No Longer Offers Live Racing

The Birmingham Racecourse opened in 1987 as the Birmingham Turf Club, and was built for thoroughbred horse racing. However, its races didn’t attract the crowds it had hoped for, and the original operators had filed for bankruptcy within a year. 

Milton McGregor purchased the track in 1992, with his family continuing to operate the facility since his death in 2018. The track hasn’t offered horse racing since 1995, and stopped offering live greyhound racing in 2020, offering only simulcasts from other tracks in recent years.

According to a press release, Wind Creek plans to transform the racecourse into “a premier entertainment destination in the Southeast,” and will continue to offer parimutuel betting, as well as the historical horse racing games currently operating at the facilities. 

“Birmingham is one of the most vibrant cities in America, and we feel very fortunate that this acquisition will allow us to increase the investment and deepen the relationships that we already have in Birmingham,” Poarch Band of Creek Indians Tribal Chair and CEO Stephanie Bryan said in a statement. “We are committed to building on the success of both the Birmingham Racecourse and Casino and our Wind Creek brand by ensuring that this property will keep tourist dollars here at home and provide jobs that support Alabama families.”

Birmingham Racecourse President Lewis Benefield reflected on the history of the track in the same press release.

“For over 30 years, we have worked to provide the best possible experience for our customers and employees, while generating significant tax revenue for the state of Alabama and local charities,” Benefield, who also serves as president of VictoryLand, said in the statement. “We have paid hundreds of millions of dollars to the State of Alabama and to local schools, hospitals, charities and other organizations that need financial support.”

Gambling Expansion Still on Hold for Alabama

Alabama has been on the verge of expanding its gambling offerings, with proposed legislation earlier this year offering more electronic gaming, a statewide lottery, and a formal gaming compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. However, that bill came up one vote short of the 60 percent threshold needed to pass the bills in the state Senate. 

Benefield referenced these struggles in the statement announcing the purchase.

“The people of Birmingham desire the same types of entertainment offered at other facilities in and around Alabama,” Benefield said. “Unfortunately, differing state laws and enforcement actions regarding gaming have limited our ability to compete effectively. The McGregor family will now focus their efforts on VictoryLand in Macon County and advocate for unified gaming legislation in Alabama which would capture much-needed revenue for the people of Alabama.”

Wind Creek Hospitality operates a number of gaming facilities for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, including Wind Creek Aruba, Wind Creek Bethlehem, and multiple racetracks in Alabama and Florida. The later Wind Creek facility to open is Wind Creek Chicago Southland, which celebrated its public opening in Illinois last week.