Wind Creek Hospitality acquires Birmingham Racecourse

The Birmingham Racecourse, one of Alabama’s most recognizable greyhound tracks and casinos, is changing hands. 

Wind Creek Hospitality, operated by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, and the McGregor Family, owners of the Birmingham Racecourse, announced Monday that they have entered a sales agreement that will bring the racecourse and casino into the tribe’s growing portfolio of gaming establishments. The sales price was not disclosed. 

“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.”

The move comes during a time of significant interest in Alabama’s gambling landscape, with the legislature eyeing potential gaming legislation for the 2025 session, which begins in February. How this move might impact any potential legislation is unclear. 

The Poarch Creeks, through Wind Creek Hospitality, operate three electronic bingo casinos in the state and also are owners of the Mobile Greyhound Park. The purchase of the Birmingham Racecourse now leaves VictoryLand Racecourse and Casino in Shorter, which is owned by the McGregor family, and several smaller casinos in Greene County as the only non-tribal locations in the state. A number of small, possibly illegal electronic bingo casinos are scattered around the state. 

Lawmakers have focused legislation on working primarily with the Poarch Creeks and the McGregor family, since those entities have operated for decades, followed state laws and employed thousands of Alabamians. According to one lawmaker who has worked on the legislation throughout, the purchase of Birmingham was not necessarily a surprise and likely would not have a significant impact on negotiations. 

“There will probably be some people who aren’t working in the best interest of the state that try to spin this one way or another,” said the lawmaker, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity in order to talk candidly about the legislation, “but in reality, we all know the Poarch Creeks are good citizens and good business folks in this state, and they were already involved in all of this anyway. I don’t see any reason for it to change anything.”

For the McGregor family, and Birmingham Racecourse president Dr. Lewis Benefield, the sale of the racecourse ends a long relationship and brings to a close one of the most savvy business deals in state history. 

The late Milton McGregor, Benefield’s father-in-law and the most recognizable figure in Alabama’s gambling world, purchased the struggling racecourse in 1991. At the time, it was a horse track – the only one in Alabama – but it had ceased operations due to massive losses in cash. The owners had filed for bankruptcy and one of McGregor’s friends at what was then Amsouth Bank asked McGregor to take a look. 

During an interview prior to his death in 2018, McGregor said he knew horse racing was never going to work in Birmingham, because “we just didn’t have the support for it here – people didn’t know it well enough to go and support it.” So, he struck a deal – McGregor promised city and state officials that he’d keep horse racing at the track for at least a year after the purchase, if those officials would also allow him to operate greyhound races at the track. 

Once the deal was finalized, McGregor, with a facility situated between two major interstates in Alabama’s biggest city, had another top-performing greyhound track. He kept horse races at the track for two years, at significant losses, but eventually turned the track into a greyhound-only location. 

Over the last 30 years, though, the influx of casinos in Mississippi, odd gaming laws and uneven enforcement of those laws, along with the opening of the Poarch Creeks’ locations, forced the racecourse to undergo significant changes. And it forced McGregor to push for legislation allowing new gambling devices at both of his tracks. 

Since his death, under Benefield’s leadership, the track has mostly operated historical horse racing machines, which have kept it profitable and allowed the track to pay hundreds of millions in tax revenue to the state and city governments. The track also continues to be a major employer in Jefferson County. 

“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 Benefield. “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. 

“The people of Birmingham desire the same types of entertainment offered at other facilities in and around Alabama. 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.”