By Brian Shane

Staff Writer

(Aug. 13, 2026) The corporate owner of Ocean Downs is considering selling the Berlin casino and racetrack as part of a review of its regional gaming properties across the country.

Churchill Downs Inc., the property’s Louisville-based owner, disclosed the possible sale in a July 29 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It said no decision has been made, no timetable has been established, and there is no guarantee that a transaction will occur.

Churchill Downs also said it does not plan to provide updates on the review unless it determines that disclosure is appropriate or legally required.

The company will be “exploring strategic alternatives for certain wholly owned regional gaming assets,” spokesman Breck Thomas-Ross told OC Today-Dispatch in a statement.

He said the review is part of a corporate strategy to reinvest in Churchill Downs racetrack, the Kentucky Derby, and the company’s online horse racing betting platform, TwinSpires.

The SEC filing identifies eight other Churchill Downs-owned casino and hotel properties across the country as possible sale candidates.

Churchill Downs acquired a controlling interest in Ocean Downs in 2017 and purchased the remaining ownership interest in 2022.

Any new owner seeking to operate the casino or conduct live racing would need state approval.

A casino buyer would need approval to acquire Ocean Downs’ gaming license and could be subject to a background investigation. While that ownership review was underway, the casino could continue operating, according to Seth Elkin, a spokesman for the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency.

Ocean Downs’ casino license was renewed in January, Elkin said. Casino licenses are issued for 15-year periods. He said state regulators have no authority to require the casino and racetrack to be sold together.

The Maryland Racing Commission separately confirmed that the casino and racetrack legally could be transferred to different owners.

A new owner of the racing license would need commission approval and licensure before conducting race meets, according to a written response from the Maryland Department of Labor.

A racetrack buyer also would inherit obligations that include holding races on dates awarded by the commission, meeting statutory purse-distribution requirements, and complying with applicable agreements with horsemen and breeders.

Other obligations would include following live-racing regulations and maintaining a facility suitable for racing.

The Racing Commission had not received formal notification of any proposed sale as of last Tuesday, according to Labor Department spokeswoman Dinah Winnick.

Located on Route 589, Ocean Downs had operated as a harness-racing track since 1949 before adding slot machines in 2011. Table games like blackjack and roulette followed in 2017. Today, the casino has about 900 slot machines and 17 table games.

In June, Ocean Downs generated nearly $9 million from slot machines and table games, an increase of 4.3% from June 2025, according to the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency.

About 350 people work at the casino and racetrack. The property also has faced recent labor tensions, including an effort by table-game dealers to unionize that began last year.

It remains unclear whether Churchill Downs has begun contacting prospective buyers or what a sale could mean for Ocean Downs employees and future racing operations.

Thomas-Ross did not answer questions about whether the company anticipates layoffs or hiring freezes or whether it has notified Maryland regulators.

Ocean Downs General Manager Bobbi Jones and the Cloverleaf Standardbred Owners Association, which represents horsemen and trainers, did not respond to emailed requests for comment.