Churchill closes deal for casino

Churchill Downs announced Thursday it has completed its $138 million acquisition of Harlow's Casino Resort and Hotel in Greenville, Miss. The purchase gives Churchill a foot in a burgeoning gambling market and is its first casino without any racetrack presence. Mississippi has no live horse racing, but it is the third-largest gambling market behind Nevada and New Jersey.

Harlow's has a 33,000-square-foot gambling floor with 841 slot machines, 23 table games and a poker room, as well as a 105-room attached hotel, a 2,600-square-foot entertainment center, and three dining areas.

Opened in 2007, the casino has 480 employees.

This story was originally published December 16, 2010 at 4:48 PM with the headline "Churchill closes deal for casino."