Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) has signed a definitive purchase agreement to acquire Chasers Poker Room in Salem, New Hampshire. CDI plans to develop an expanded charitable gaming facility in the city that will accommodate historical racing machines (HRM) once the transaction is complete.
New Hampshire has permitted existing charitable gaming operators to offer historical horseracing at licensed facilities since 2021. Once the deal is closed, New Hampshire will be the fourth state to feature CDI’s historical horseracing brand.
CDI CEO Bill Carstanjen said: “New Hampshire is an exciting opportunity for us, one that allows us to put our historical racing machine expertise to work in the growing New England market. We look forward to sharing more about our plans to build an expanded, state-of-the-art gaming facility in Salem in the coming months.”
A portion of revenue from charitable gaming operations is allocated to nonprofit organizations that hold licenses in the state, in compliance with New Hampshire law.
The agreement is subject to typical closing conditions, including regulatory approvals from the New Hampshire Lottery Commission. CDI hopes to complete the deal during this year’s second quarter.
Chasers opened in 2017 and is a charitable gaming facility. It offers table games as well as poker and is located about 30 minutes from downtown Boston.
CDI currently operates HRMs in Kentucky. The company will also operate in Virginia and Louisiana, pending the closing of the acquisition of Peninsula Pacific Entertainment and the completion of HRM expansion plans for CDI’s 14 off-track betting facilities.
CDI is also the host of the annual Kentucky Derby.
