11/18/2024 04PM
Two of Alabama’s leaders in the hospitality and tourism industry -- Wind Creek Hospitality, owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, and the McGregor family, owners of Birmingham Racecourse and Casino and Victoryland Casino -- today announced that they have entered into an agreement under which Wind Creek will acquire the Birmingham Racecourse. The sale is expected to be finalized by early 2025.
11/18/2024
For Immediate Release: November 18, 2024
Wind Creek Hospitality to acquire Birmingham Racecourse and Casino
Two of Alabama’s leaders in the hospitality and tourism industry -- Wind Creek Hospitality, owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, and the McGregor family, owners of Birmingham Racecourse and Casino and Victoryland Casino --today announced that they have entered into an agreement under which Wind Creek will acquire the Birmingham Racecourse. The sale is expected to be finalized by early 2025.
Wind Creek will transform the Birmingham Racecourse into a premier entertainment destination in the Southeast and will continue to offer parimutuel and historical horse racing games currently in operation and the facility.
"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," said Lewis Benefield, President of the Birmingham Racecourse and VictoryLand. "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."
Benefield said the McGregor family has consistently sought to enhance the gaming and entertainment options at the Birmingham Racecourse, but legislative hurdles have presented challenges.
"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 is based in Atmore and is one of the fastest growing gaming companies in the country, and it plans to expand the investments made in recent years at the Birmingham Racecourse. They will be working closely with local elected and racing officials on steps moving forward as the sale is finalized and expansion plans are developed.
“We are excited to bring the Birmingham Racecourse into the Wind Creek family, said Jay Dorris, President and CEO of Wind Creek Hospitality. “The McGregor family built and has operated the Birmingham Racecourse and Casino for decades. Over those years, it became clear to us that we share many of the same goals -- providing great entertainment, attracting tourism and creating economic growth In Alabama. We are really looking forward to welcoming their employees and to moving forward together.”
Stephanie Bryan, Tribal Chair and CEO of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, said the tribe has already been heavily involved in the Birmingham area, supporting organizations like the Birmingham Promise, Birmingham Zoo and many others. She said Wind Creek will make this facility a major economic force for the area in creating more jobs, taxes and support for the local community.
“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,” she said. “When it comes to attracting tourism, this is an incredibly important area of the state. 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.“
Bryan added, “As the leader of our Tribe, I am deeply grateful to the expertise and leadership of Arthur Mothershed, a Member of our Tribal Council and Wind Creek’s VP of Business Development, in representing the interests of our Tribe and our gaming business in this important acquisition and new venture.”
ABOUT WIND CREEK HOSPITALITY
Wind Creek Hospitality is an authority of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, the only federally recognized Indian Tribe in the state of Alabama. Wind Creek Hospitality manages the Tribe's gaming facilities including Wind Creek Aruba, Wind Creek Atmore, Wind Creek Bethlehem, Wind Creek Chicago Southland, Wind Creek Curacao, Wind Creek Montgomery, Wind Creek Wetumpka, Casinoverse, Magic City Casino in Florida, as well as racetracks in Alabama and Florida. Visit www.windcreek.com for more information.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Rick Heartsill
Direct Communications
205-356-8180
Julia Corwin
484-777-7911
11/18/2024
For Immediate Release: November 18, 2024
Wind Creek Hospitality to acquire Birmingham Racecourse and Casino
Two of Alabama’s leaders in the hospitality and tourism industry -- Wind Creek Hospitality, owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, and the McGregor family, owners of Birmingham Racecourse and Casino and Victoryland Casino --today announced that they have entered into an agreement under which Wind Creek will acquire the Birmingham Racecourse. The sale is expected to be finalized by early 2025.
Wind Creek will transform the Birmingham Racecourse into a premier entertainment destination in the Southeast and will continue to offer parimutuel and historical horse racing games currently in operation and the facility.
"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," said Lewis Benefield, President of the Birmingham Racecourse and VictoryLand. "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."
Benefield said the McGregor family has consistently sought to enhance the gaming and entertainment options at the Birmingham Racecourse, but legislative hurdles have presented challenges.
"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 is based in Atmore and is one of the fastest growing gaming companies in the country, and it plans to expand the investments made in recent years at the Birmingham Racecourse. They will be working closely with local elected and racing officials on steps moving forward as the sale is finalized and expansion plans are developed.
“We are excited to bring the Birmingham Racecourse into the Wind Creek family, said Jay Dorris, President and CEO of Wind Creek Hospitality. “The McGregor family built and has operated the Birmingham Racecourse and Casino for decades. Over those years, it became clear to us that we share many of the same goals -- providing great entertainment, attracting tourism and creating economic growth In Alabama. We are really looking forward to welcoming their employees and to moving forward together.”
Stephanie Bryan, Tribal Chair and CEO of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, said the tribe has already been heavily involved in the Birmingham area, supporting organizations like the Birmingham Promise, Birmingham Zoo and many others. She said Wind Creek will make this facility a major economic force for the area in creating more jobs, taxes and support for the local community.
“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,” she said. “When it comes to attracting tourism, this is an incredibly important area of the state. 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.“
Bryan added, “As the leader of our Tribe, I am deeply grateful to the expertise and leadership of Arthur Mothershed, a Member of our Tribal Council and Wind Creek’s VP of Business Development, in representing the interests of our Tribe and our gaming business in this important acquisition and new venture.”
ABOUT WIND CREEK HOSPITALITY
Wind Creek Hospitality is an authority of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, the only federally recognized Indian Tribe in the state of Alabama. Wind Creek Hospitality manages the Tribe's gaming facilities including Wind Creek Aruba, Wind Creek Atmore, Wind Creek Bethlehem, Wind Creek Chicago Southland, Wind Creek Curacao, Wind Creek Montgomery, Wind Creek Wetumpka, Casinoverse, Magic City Casino in Florida, as well as racetracks in Alabama and Florida. Visit www.windcreek.com for more information.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Rick Heartsill
Direct Communications
205-356-8180
Julia Corwin
484-777-7911
11/08/2024 04PM
East Hazel Crest, IL – (11/8/2024) Wind Creek Hospitality is pleased to announce the highly-anticipated opening of Wind Creek Chicago Southland on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024, with doors opening to the public at approximately 11:00 a.m. The state-of-the-art casino represents the first step toward delivering a full-scale integrated resort experience, scheduled for completion in spring 2025.
07/12/2024 10AM
ATMORE, AL – (7/12/2024) Grammy-nominated artist Ginuwine will take the Wind Creek Casino & Hotel Atmore (WCA) Amphitheater stage on Saturday, September 14, 2024 at 9pm. Tickets are available for purchase at ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets and The W Store.
06/14/2024 10AM
ATMORE, AL – (6/14/2024) Multi-Platinum selling artist Gabby Barrett will take the Wind Creek Casino & Hotel Atmore (WCA) Amphitheater stage on Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 9pm. Tickets are available for purchase at ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets and The W Store.
05/10/2024 10AM
ATMORE, AL – (5/10/2024) GRAMMY award-winning artist Babyface will take the Wind Creek Casino & Hotel Atmore (WCA) Amphitheater stage on Saturday, July 13, 2024 at 9pm. Tickets are available for purchase at ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets and The W Store.
I am writing this letter of support for the proposed partnership between the Villages of East Hazel Crest & Homewood and Wind Creek Hospitality. My wife and I have been residents since 1999 and I have served on the Village of East Hazel Crest’s board since 2005 – we are vested in our community.
When compared to the other potential Southland casino sites that are being considered, our location is the most logical and ideal due to its proximity to both the I-80 corridor (and its 80 million vehicles of annual traffic) and the Illinois/Indiana state line. The economic stability and growth are very much needed in the Southland as many of our communities and residents are still struggling from the 2008-2009 housing market crash. The shared economic proposal between the multiple municipalities and welcomed job creation of this venture set the table for the resurgence of our Southland community.
The stable leadership of both Villages of East Hazel Crest (led by Village President Thomas A. Brown) & Homewood (led by Village President Richard Hofeld) lends itself to the creation of establishing a profound business and community-based relationship with the Wind Creek Hospitality team. During these incredibly challenging times of the COVID-19 global pandemic (both on the health of our residents and the current economic fallout), the East Hazel Crest/Homewood casino site can go a long way towards healing our Southland communities.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best Regards,
Kevin D. Johnson
Village Trusee
Village of East Hazel Crest
This is a resident letter of recommendation to grant the Casino license to East Hazel Crest and Homewood, IL.
I fully support the East Hazel Crest/Homewood casino that hopefully will be located at 174th Street and Halsted Street. I am looking forward to the benefits that Wind Creek Hospitality has to offer and bring to our communities. The employment opportunities, dining, entertainment and tax revenue would be much needed and appreciated. I cannot express enough of how much this would mean to my neighbors and myself.
Sincerely,
Karen Santillan
Life-Long East Hazel Crest Resident