Churchill Downs (CHDN) 10-Q 27 Apr 15 2015 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_And_Entity_Informatio

Document And Entity Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Apr. 23, 2015
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]
Document Type	10-Q
FALSE	FALSE
Document Period End Date	31-Mar-15
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2015
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Entity Registrant Name	CHURCHILL DOWNS INC
Entity Central Index Key	20212
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-19
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		17,581,280

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$49,525	$67,936
Restricted cash	20,772	26,065
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $4,206 at March 31, 2015 and $4,246 at December 31, 2014	60,361	75,890
Deferred income taxes	17,707	18,519
Income taxes receivable	14,560	29,455
Game technology and rights, net	4,617	530
Other current assets	35,131	24,135
Total current assets	202,673	242,530
Property and equipment, net	590,170	595,315
Investment in and advances to unconsolidated affiliate	108,606	109,548
Goodwill	840,947	840,947
Other intangible assets, net	535,732	549,972
Other assets	24,242	24,192
Total assets	2,302,370	2,362,504
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Accounts payable	51,988	45,597
Bank overdraft	1,291	544
Purses payable	6,162	11,169
Account wagering deposit liabilities	19,294	18,137
Accrued expenses	85,934	93,286
Tax refund due to Big Fish Games former equity holders	6,313	18,087
Deferred revenue	75,758	51,833
Deferred revenue - Big Fish Games	54,623	41,747
Big Fish Games deferred payment, current	27,710	27,180
Current maturities of long-term debt	12,500	11,250
Dividends payable	0	17,419
Total current liabilities	341,573	336,249
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	387,257	459,105
Notes payable	300,000	300,000
Big Fish Games deferred payment, net of current amount due	52,690	51,620
Big Fish Games earnout liability	332,600	327,800
Other liabilities	23,119	21,718
Deferred revenue	17,196	16,489
Deferred income taxes	149,192	149,522
Total liabilities	1,603,627	1,662,503
Commitments and contingencies
Shareholders' equity:
Preferred stock, no par value; 250 shares authorized; no shares issued	0	0
Common stock, no par value; 50,000 shares authorized; 17,581 shares issued at March 31, 2015 and 17,472 shares issued at December 31, 2014	262,967	262,280
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	-512	-125
Retained earnings	436,288	437,846
Total shareholders' equity	698,743	700,001
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$2,302,370	$2,362,504

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance1

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Allowance for doubtful accounts	$4,206	$4,246
Preferred stock, shares authorized	250	250
Common stock, shares authorized	50,000	50,000
Common stock, shares issued	17,581	17,472

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme

Condensed Consolidated Statements Of Comprehensive Loss (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment, Tax	$328
Net revenues:
Big Fish Games	91,903	0
Casinos	85,415	86,386
TwinSpires	45,315	46,084
Racing	24,438	30,579
Other	3,839	4,092
Net revenues	250,910	167,141
Operating expenses:
Big Fish Games	82,159	0
Casinos	60,781	62,046
TwinSpires	31,781	33,577
Racing	36,510	43,220
Other	5,603	5,698
Research and development	10,232	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	21,572	21,465
Acquisition related charges	6,400	0
Insurance recoveries, net of losses	0	-431
Operating (loss) income	-4,128	1,566
Other income (expense):
Interest income	218	4
Interest expense	-7,484	-4,973
Equity in gains of unconsolidated investments	2,948	2,290
Gain on sale of equity investment	5,817	0
Miscellaneous, net	-188	-25
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	1,311	-2,704
Loss from continuing operations before income tax benefit	-2,817	-1,138
Income tax benefit	1,259	438
Net loss	-1,558	-700
Earnings Per Share, Basic [Abstract]
Net loss (in dollars per share), Basic	($0.09)	($0.04)
Loss Per Share, Diluted [Abstract]
Net loss (in dollars per share), Diluted	($0.09)	($0.04)
Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic (in shares)	17,268	17,419
Diluted (in shares)	17,268	17,419
Other Comprehensive Loss, Net of Tax [Abstract]
Foreign currency translation, net of ($328) tax effect	-387	0
Other comprehensive loss	-387	0
Comprehensive loss	($1,945)	($700)

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme1

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss (Parenthetical) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment, Tax	$328

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme2

Condensed Consolidated Statements Of Cash Flows (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net loss	($1,558)	($700)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	27,407	15,284
Game technology and rights amortization	725	0
Acquisition related charges	6,400	0
Loss on asset disposals	377	1
Gain on sale of equity investment	5,817	0
Equity in gains of unconsolidated investments	-2,948	-2,290
Dividend from investment in unconsolidated affiliate	3,500	0
Share-based compensation	2,723	5,241
Other	402	149
Increase (decrease) in cash resulting from changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of business acquisition:
Restricted cash	5,293	6,547
Accounts receivable	-2,244	-153
Other current assets	-10,962	-8,883
Game technology and rights	-4,812	0
Accounts payable	9,532	9,519
Purses payable	-5,007	-5,445
Accrued expenses	-5,921	-6,979
Deferred revenue	55,939	33,099
Income taxes receivable and payable	12,997	6,030
Other assets and liabilities	3,648	511
Net cash provided by operating activities	89,674	51,931
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions to property and equipment	-9,784	-20,169
Deferred payments to Big Fish Games former equity holders	-959	0
Investment in joint ventures	-327	-6,500
Proceeds from sale of equity investment	6,000	0
Purchases of minority investments	-81	-273
Proceeds on sale of property and equipment	67	86
Net cash used in investing activities	-5,084	-26,856
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings on bank line of credit	75,620	93,067
Repayments on bank line of credit	-146,218	-96,509
Tax refund payments to Big Fish Games equity holders	-11,773	0
Change in bank overdraft	747	1,845
Payment of dividends	-17,419	-15,186
Repurchase of common stock	-4,870	-7,402
Common stock issued	0	68
Windfall tax benefit from share-based compensation	2,834	2,630
Loan origination fees	-26	-103
Debt issuance costs	0	-1,029
Net cash used in financing activities	-101,105	-22,619
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	-16,515	2,456
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	-1,896	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	67,936	44,708
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	49,525	47,164
Cash paid during the period for:
Interest	3,176	381
Income taxes	130	48
Schedule of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Issuance of common stock in connection with the Company's restricted stock plans	$15,476	$0

Basis_Of_Presentation

Basis Of Presentation	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis Of Presentation	NOTE 1 — BASIS OF PRESENTATION
	The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are presented in accordance with the requirements of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and consequently do not include all of the disclosures normally required by Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP") in the United States of America or those normally made in Churchill Downs Incorporated’s (the “Company”) Annual Report on Form 10-K. The year-end Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet data was derived from audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Accordingly, the reader of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should refer to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 for further information. The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with the Company’s customary accounting practices and have not been audited.
	In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for a fair statement of this information have been made, and all such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature. Certain amounts for the three months ended March 31, 2014 were reclassified to be consistent with current year presentation. There was no impact from these reclassifications on net loss or cash flows.
	The Company’s revenues and earnings are seasonal in nature, primarily due to its Racing segment. Therefore, revenues and operating results for any interim quarter are generally not indicative of the revenues and operating results for the year and may not be comparable with results for the corresponding period of the previous year. For instance, the Company historically has had fewer live racing days during the first quarter of each year, and the majority of its live racing revenue occurs during the second quarter, with the running of the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks. The Company conducted 57 live thoroughbred racing days during the first quarter of 2015, which compares to 97 live thoroughbred racing days during the first quarter of 2014. This decrease is primarily related to the cessation of pari-mutuel operations at Calder Race Course in July 2014. Furthermore, casino revenues and earnings have historically been higher during the first quarter due to seasonal revenues from the Company's predominately southern casino properties.
	Customer Loyalty Programs
	The Company’s customer loyalty programs offer incentives to customers who wager at the Company’s racetracks, through its advance deposit wagering platform, TwinSpires.com, or at its casino facilities. The TSC Elite program is for pari-mutuel wagering at the Company’s racetracks or through TwinSpires.com. The Player’s Club is offered at the Company’s casino facilities in Louisiana, Florida, Maine and Mississippi. At each of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the outstanding reward point liabilities were $1.7 million and were included in accrued expenses.
	Promotional Allowances
	Promotional allowances, which include the Company’s customer loyalty programs, primarily consist of the retail value of complimentary goods and services provided to guests at no charge. The retail value of these promotional allowances is included in gross revenue and then deducted to arrive at net revenue.
	During the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, promotional allowances of $7.1 million and $7.6 million, respectively, were included as a reduction to net revenues. During those periods, TwinSpires promotional allowances were $2.8 million and $2.7 million, respectively. Casino promotional allowances were $4.2 million and $4.7 million, respectively. Racing promotional allowances were $0.1 million for both periods. The estimated cost of providing casino promotional allowances included in operating expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 totaled $2.0 million and $2.4 million, respectively.
	Game Technology and Rights
	Game technology and rights are purchased from third-party developers before the games have been produced or launched. The Company pays amounts to these developers as they reach agreed-upon milestones. Once the game is launched, the Company amortizes its game technology and rights on an accelerated basis over the useful life of the game, which is generally one year.
	Research and Development
	Costs incurred for research and development activities are expensed as incurred. Development costs associated with software to be sold are capitalized when technological feasibility has been established through the date the product is available for general release. At March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, there were no material amounts capitalized. For the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company incurred research and development expenses of $10.2 million within its Big Fish Games, Inc. ("Big Fish Games") segment, which consisted primarily of compensation related expenses.

Acquisition_And_New_Ventures_N

Acquisition And New Ventures (Notes)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Acquisitions and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
Acquisitions And New Ventures	NOTE 2 — NEW VENTURES & ACQUISITIONS
	Big Fish Games
	On December 16, 2014, the Company completed the acquisition of Big Fish Games. Big Fish Games, which has locations in Seattle, Washington, Oakland, California and Luxembourg, employs approximately 580 employees and develops casual games for PCs and mobile devices worldwide. Big Fish Games operates in three business lines: premium paid, casino and casual free-to-play. The Company acquired Big Fish Games to leverage its casino and casual game experience and assembled workforce, and to position itself in the mobile and online game industry. The Company financed the acquisition with borrowings under its Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “Senior Secured Credit Facility”) and the addition of a $200 million Term Loan Facility (“Term Loan”) to the existing Senior Secured Credit Facility.
	The purchase price consideration was $838.3 million, composed of $401.7 million in cash, a deferred payment to the founder of Big Fish Games of $85.3 million, payable over three years and recorded at fair value of $78.0 million as of the acquisition date, an estimated payable to the Big Fish Games equity holders related to an income tax refund of $18.1 million and $15.8 million payable in 157,115 shares of the common stock of the Company. In addition, the Company may be required to pay additional variable cash consideration that is contingent upon the achievement of certain performance milestones of Big Fish Games through December 31, 2015 and is limited to a maximum of $350 million based on achievement of certain non-GAAP earnings targets before interest and tax. The estimated fair value of the earnout liability at the acquisition date was $324.7 million. The Company estimated the fair value of the deferred payment and the earnout liability using a discounted cash flows analysis over the period in which the obligation is expected to be settled, and applied a discount rate based on the Company’s cost of debt. The cost of debt as of the closing date was based on the observed market yields of the Company’s Senior Unsecured Notes issued in December of 2013 and was adjusted for the difference in seniority and term of the deferred payment and the earnout liability. See Note 7 for further discussion of the fair value measurement of the deferred payment and the earnout liability.
	The fair values recorded were based upon a preliminary valuation. Estimates and assumptions used in such valuation are subject to change, which could be significant, within the measurement period up to one year from the acquisition date. The primary areas of the preliminary valuation that were not finalized at December 31, 2014 related to the fair value of amounts for income taxes, adjustments to working capital, and the final amount of residual goodwill.
	During the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company obtained additional information to assist it in determining the values of the liabilities assumed at the acquisition date and changes which occurred during the measurement period. A measurement period adjustment was recorded related to estimated payroll taxes associated with the earnout liability. The Company retroactively adjusted the December 31, 2014 Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet by increasing deferred income taxes by $0.8 million, increasing goodwill by $1.4 million and increasing accrued expenses by $2.2 million. In addition, the Company made deferred payments of $12.7 million to Big Fish Games former equity holders for the receipt of a federal income tax refund and working capital adjustments related to the acquisition.
	The following table summarizes (in thousands) the current fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, net of cash acquired of $34.7 million, at the date of acquisition.
		Total
	Accounts receivable	$	19,274
	Income taxes receivable	18,087
	Prepaid expenses	9,727
	Deferred income taxes	1,708
	Other assets	1,780
	Property and equipment	14,632
	Goodwill	540,331
	Other intangible assets	362,863
	Total assets acquired	968,402
	Accounts payable	9,064
	Accrued expenses	19,217
	Income taxes payable	210
	Deferred revenue	37,250
	Deferred income taxes	96,182
	Other liabilities	2,821
	Total liabilities acquired	164,744
	Purchase price, net of cash acquired	$	803,658
	During the three months ended March 31, 2015, Big Fish Games contributed revenues of $91.9 million and loss from continuing operations before provision for income taxes of $5.8 million.
	Pro Forma
	The following table illustrates the effect on net revenues, earnings from continuing operations and earnings from continuing operations per common share as if the Company had acquired Big Fish Games as of the beginning of 2014. The unaudited pro forma results have been prepared for comparative purposes only and do not purport to be indicative of the results of operations that would have occurred had the acquisition of Big Fish Games been consummated at the beginning of 2014 (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2014
	Net revenues	$	241,462
	Loss from continuing operations	$	(1,638	)
	Saratoga Harness Racing, Inc. Equity Investment and Management Agreement
	On October 28, 2014, the Company signed a definitive purchase agreement to acquire a 25% ownership interest in Saratoga Casino Holdings, LLC ("SCH"), a newly formed entity which will own Saratoga Casino and Raceway in Saratoga Springs, NY; Saratoga Harness Racing, Inc.'s ("SHRI") controlling interest in Saratoga Casino Black Hawk in Black Hawk, Colorado; SHRI's 50% interest in a joint venture with Delaware North Companies to manage the Gideon Putnam Hotel and Resort in Saratoga Springs, New York; its interest in the proposed Capital View Casino & Resort in East Greenbush, New York; and SHRI's interest in a joint venture with Rush Street Gaming to build the proposed Hudson Valley Casino and Resort in Newburgh, New York.
	In addition, the Company signed a five-year management agreement pursuant to which it will manage Saratoga Casino and Raceway and Saratoga Casino Black Hawk. Both the funding of the equity investment and the commencement of the management agreement are subject to regulatory approval and licensing requirements in New York and Colorado.

Natural_Disasters_Notes

Natural Disasters (Notes)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Natural Disasters [Abstract]
Natural Disasters [Text Block]	NOTE 3 — NATURAL DISASTERS
	On April 28, 2012, a hailstorm caused damage to portions of Louisville, Kentucky including Churchill Downs Racetrack ("Churchill Downs") and its separate training facility known as Trackside Louisville. Both locations sustained damage to their stable areas as well as damages to administrative offices and several other structures. The Company carries property and casualty insurance, subject to a $0.5 million deductible. During 2012 and 2013, the Company received partial payments for the claim from its insurance carriers. During the three months ended March 31, 2014, the Company received final proceeds of $0.4 million, which it recognized as insurance recoveries, net of losses as a component of operating income. The insurance claims for this event have been finalized, and the Company does not expect to receive additional funds from this claim.

Investment_in_and_Advances_to_

Investment in and Advances to Unconsolidated Affiliate (Notes)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates, Schedule of Investments [Abstract]
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates, Schedule of Investments [Text Block]	NOTE 4 — INVESTMENT IN AND ADVANCES TO UNCONSOLIDATED AFFILIATE
	Miami Valley Gaming Joint Venture
	During March 2012, the Company entered into a 50% joint venture with Delaware North Companies Gaming & Entertainment Inc. (“DNC”) to develop a new harness racetrack and video lottery terminal (“VLT”) casino facility in Lebanon, Ohio. Through the joint venture agreement, the Company and DNC formed a new company, Miami Valley Gaming, LLC (“MVG”), to manage both the Company’s and DNC’s interests in the development and operation of the racetrack and VLT casino facility. On December 21, 2012, MVG completed the purchase of the harness racing licenses and certain assets held by Lebanon Trotting Club Inc. and Miami Valley Trotting Inc. ("MVG Sellers") for total consideration of $60.0 million, of which $10.0 million was funded at closing with the remainder funded through a $50.0 million note payable with a six year term effective upon the commencement of casino operations. In addition, there is a potential contingent consideration payment of $10.0 million based on the financial performance of the facility during the seven-year period after casino operations commence.
	On December 12, 2013, the new facility opened in Lebanon, Ohio on a 120-acre site. The facility includes a 5/8-mile harness racing track and an 186,000-square-foot casino facility with approximately 1,570 VLTs. MVG invested $204.6 million in the new facility, including a $50.0 million license fee to the Ohio Lottery Commission.
	Since both DNC and the Company have participating rights over MVG, and both must consent to MVG's operating, investing and financing decisions, the Company accounts for MVG using the equity method. Summarized financial information for MVG is comprised of the following (in thousands):
		March 31, 2015			December 31, 2014
	Assets
	Current assets	$	22,466		$	24,943
	Property and equipment, net	128,418			130,868
	Other assets, net	105,059			105,059
	Total assets	$	255,943		$	260,870
	Liabilities and Members' Equity
	Current liabilities	$	15,231		$	16,775
	Current portion of long-term debt	8,332			8,332
	Long-term debt, excluding current portion	25,094			26,584
	Other liabilities	75			83
	Members' equity	207,211			209,096
	Total liabilities and members' equity	$	255,943		$	260,870
	The joint venture's long-term debt consists of a $50.0 million secured note payable from MVG to the MVG Sellers payable quarterly over 6 years through November 2019 at a 5.0% interest rate for which it has funded $10.4 million in principal repayments. During the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company received distributions from MVG totaling $3.5 million.
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Casino revenue	$	32,044		$	31,163
	Non-casino revenue	1,957			1,631
	Net revenues	34,001			32,794
	Operating and SG&A expenses	24,634			24,211
	Depreciation & amortization expenses	3,144			3,367
	Pre-opening expenses	—			54
	Operating income	6,223			5,162
	Interest (expense) income, net	(1,108		)	(1,080		)
	Net income	$	5,115		$	4,082
	The Company's 50% share of MVG's results has been included in our accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Equity in gains of unconsolidated investments	$	2,558		$	2,041

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	NOTE 5 — INCOME TAXES
	The Company’s effective tax rate from continuing operations for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 was 45% and 38%, respectively. The effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2015 was greater than the Federal statutory rate due to expenses associated with the revaluation of liabilities associated with the purchase of Big Fish Games, state and local income tax expense and certain expenses that were not deductible for tax purposes. These additional tax expenses were partially mitigated by the manufacturing deduction that will be available associated with the development of social games by Big Fish Games.
	Certain tax authorities may periodically audit the Company, and the Company may occasionally be assessed interest and penalties by tax jurisdictions. The Company recognizes accrued interest from uncertain income tax benefits in its income tax provision, while penalties are accrued in selling, general and administrative expenses. During the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company recorded $0.1 million interest expense related to uncertain income tax benefits and had gross uncertain tax benefits of $3.0 million as of March 31, 2015. If these benefits had been recognized, there would have been a $1.6 million decrease to annual income tax expense. $1.1 million of the uncertain tax positions were related to issues that existed prior to the acquisition of Big Fish Games, and to the extent that these liabilities are incurred, they would be reimbursed by the pre-acquisition shareholders of Big Fish Games, in conjunction with a tax indemnity agreement.
	During October 2012, the Company funded a $2.9 million income tax payment to the State of Illinois related to a dispute over its state income tax apportionment methodology, which was recorded as an other asset. The Company filed its state income tax returns related to the years 2002 through 2005 following the methodology prescribed by Illinois statute; however, the State of Illinois has taken a contrary tax position. The Company filed a formal protest with the State of Illinois during the fourth quarter of 2012. The Company does not expect this issue to have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition and results of operations.

Goodwill_And_IndefiniteLived_I

Goodwill And Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets Impairment Test	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill and Indefinte-Lived Intangible Assets Impairment Test	NOTE 6 — GOODWILL AND INDEFINITE-LIVED INTANGIBLE ASSETS IMPAIRMENT TEST
	In accordance with ASU No. 2011-08, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other: Testing Goodwill for Impairment and ASU No. 2012-02, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other: Testing Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets for Impairment, the Company completed the required annual impairment tests of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets as of March 31, 2015, and no adjustment to the carrying value of goodwill or indefinite-lived intangible assets was required. The Company assessed its goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets by performing its step one fair value calculations on a quantitative basis for each of its reporting units and indefinite-lived intangible assets. The Company concluded that the fair values of its reporting units and indefinite-lived intangible assets exceeded their carrying value and therefore step two of the assessment was not required. Goodwill and definite-lived and indefinite-lived intangible assets are summarized as follows (in thousands):
		Big Fish Games		Casinos			TwinSpires		Racing		Other			Total
											Investments
	Goodwill as of December 31, 2014	$	540,331	$	117,659		$	127,364	$	51,659	$	3,934		$	840,947
	Adjustments	—		—			—		—		—			—
	Goodwill as of March 31, 2015	$	540,331	$	117,659		$	127,364	$	51,659	$	3,934		$	840,947
		March 31, 2015							December 31, 2014
		Gross Carrying Value		Accumulated Amortization			Net Book Value		Gross Carrying Value		Accumulated Amortization			Net Book Value
	Definite-lived intangible assets	$	238,865	$	(61,476	)	$	177,389	$	238,865	$	(47,236	)	$	191,629
	Indefinite-lived intangible assets	358,343		—			358,343		358,343		—			358,343
	Total	$	597,208	$	(61,476	)	$	535,732	$	597,208	$	(47,236	)	$	549,972

Fair_Value_Of_Assets_And_Liabi

Fair Value Of Assets And Liabilities	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Of Assets And Liabilities	NOTE 7 — FAIR VALUE OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
	The Company endeavors to utilize the best available information in measuring fair value. Financial assets and liabilities are classified based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The following tables present the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 (in thousands):
			March 31, 2015
			Level 1			Level 2			Level 3
	Cash equivalents and restricted cash		$	21,100		$	—		$	—
	Big Fish Games deferred payments		—			—			80,400
	Big Fish Games earnout liability		—			—			332,600
	Senior unsecured notes		—			305,250			—
	Bluff contingent consideration liability		—			—			2,331
	Total		$	21,100		$	305,250		$	415,331
			December 31, 2014
			Level 1			Level 2			Level 3
	Cash equivalents and restricted cash		$	27,464		$	—		$	—
	Big Fish Games deferred payments		—			—			78,800
	Big Fish Games earnout liability		—			—			327,800
	Senior unsecured notes		—			299,250			—
	Bluff contingent consideration liability		—			—			2,331
	Total		$	27,464		$	299,250		$	408,931
	The following table presents the change in fair value of the Company's level 3 liabilities during the three months ended March 31, 2015 (in thousands):
		Fair Value Measurements Using Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
		Big Fish Games Deferred Payments			Big Fish Games Earnout Liability			Bluff Contingent Consideration			Total
	Balance as of December 31, 2014	$	78,800		$	327,800		$	2,331		$	408,931
	Change in fair value	1,600			4,800			—			6,400
	Balance as of March 31, 2015	$	80,400		$	332,600		$	2,331		$	415,331
	The Company's cash equivalents and restricted cash, which are held in interest-bearing accounts, qualify for Level 1 in the fair value hierarchy which includes unadjusted quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets.
	The Company's accrued liability for a contingent consideration recorded in conjunction with the Bluff Media ("Bluff") acquisition was based on significant inputs not observed in the market and represents a Level 3 fair value measurement. The estimate of the contingent consideration liability uses an income approach and is based on the probability of achieving enabling legislation for Bluff which permits Internet poker gaming and the probability-weighted discounted cash flows. Any change in the fair value of the Bluff contingent consideration subsequent to the acquisition date will be recognized in the Company's Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss.
	The Company estimated the fair value of the Big Fish Games deferred payment and earnout liability as of March 31, 2015 using a discounted cash flows analysis over the period in which the obligation is expected to be settled, and applied a discount rate based on the Company’s cost of debt.  The cost of debt was based on the observed market yields of the Company's Senior Unsecured Notes issued in December of 2013 and represents a Level 3 fair value measurement and was adjusted for the difference in seniority and term of the deferred payment and earnout liability.  The change in fair values of the Big Fish Games deferred payment and earnout liability of $6.4 million during the three months ended March 31, 2015 was recorded as acquisition related charges in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss. Changes to the Company's cost of debt could lead to a different fair value estimate for the deferred payment and earnout liability.
	The Company's $300 million par value Senior Unsecured Notes represent a Level 2 fair value measurement. The fair value of the Senior Unsecured Notes is disclosed based on unadjusted quoted prices for similar liabilities in markets that are not active.
	The Company currently has no other assets or liabilities subject to fair value measurement on a recurring basis. The following methods and assumptions were used by the Company in estimating its fair value disclosures for financial instruments:
	Cash Equivalents—The carrying amount reported in the balance sheet for cash equivalents approximates its fair value due to the short-term maturity of these instruments.
	During the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company did not measure any assets at fair value on a non-recurring basis.

Longterm_Incentive_Plan_Notes

Long-term Incentive Plan (Notes)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
LTIP [Abstract]
Long-term Incentive Plan	NOTE 8 — LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN
	During 2013, the Board of Directors approved the terms and conditions of performance share awards issued pursuant to the Churchill Downs Incorporated 2007 Omnibus stock incentive plan (the "New Company LTIP"). As a way to continue to encourage innovation, an entrepreneurial approach, and careful risk assessment, and in order to retain key executives, the New Company LTIP offers long-term incentive compensation to the Company's named executive officers and other key executives ("Grantees") as reported in the Company's Schedule 14A Proxy Statement filing.
	During the three months ended March 31, 2015, Grantees and certain Big Fish Games employees received approximately 131,000 restricted shares of the Company's common stock vesting over service periods ranging from seven months to three years. During 2013, the Grantees received 92,000 restricted shares of the Company's common stock vesting over approximately four years and 324,000 restricted shares of the Company's common stock with vesting contingent upon the Company's common stock reaching certain closing prices on NASDAQ for 20 consecutive trading days.
	During the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company's closing stock price achieved the twenty consecutive trading days closing stock price requirement for 239,500 restricted shares. During the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company's closing stock price achieved the stock price requirement for the final 84,500 restricted shares.
	During the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company recognized $1.8 million of compensation expense included in selling general and administrative expenses related to service period awards under the New Company LTIP, which includes compensation expense for the Big Fish Games employee grant. As of March 31, 2015, unrecognized compensation expense attributable to unvested service period awards was $13.6 million. The weighted average period over which the Company expects to recognize the remaining compensation expense under service period awards approximates 20 months at March 31, 2015. There is no remaining unrecognized expense under the market condition awards.

Loss_Per_Common_Share_Computat

Loss Per Common Share Computations	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Loss Per Common Share Computations	NOTE 9 — LOSS PER COMMON SHARE COMPUTATIONS
	The following is a reconciliation of the numerator and denominator of the loss per common share computations (in thousands, except per share data):
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Numerator basic and diluted loss per common share	$	(1,558	)	$	(700	)
	Denominator basic and diluted net loss per common share	17,268			17,419
	Loss per common share:
	Basic	$	(0.09	)	$	(0.04	)
	Diluted	$	(0.09	)	$	(0.04	)
	Options to purchase 0.4 million and 0.5 million shares and participating securities for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively were excluded from the computation of diluted loss per common shares since their effect was anti-dilutive because of the net loss from continuing operations for the period.

Segment_Information

Segment Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Information	NOTE 10 — SEGMENT INFORMATION
	The Company operates in the following five segments: (1) Big Fish Games; (2) Casinos, which includes video poker and casino operations at Calder Casino, Fair Grounds Slots, Harlow’s Casino Resort & Spa ("Harlow's"), the Company's equity investment in MVG, Oxford Casino (“Oxford”), Riverwalk Casino Hotel ("Riverwalk") and Video Services, LLC (“VSI”); (3) TwinSpires, which includes TwinSpires, our Advance Deposit Wagering (“ADW”) business, Fair Grounds Account Wagering, Bloodstock Research Information Services and Velocity, a business focused on high wagering-volume international customers, as well as the Company's equity investment in HRTV, LLC, prior to its sale during January 2015; (4) Racing, which includes Churchill Downs, Arlington International Race Course ("Arlington") and its ten off-track betting facilities ("OTBs"), and Fair Grounds Race Course ("Fair Grounds") and the pari-mutuel activity generated at its twelve OTBs; and (5) Other Investments, which includes United Tote, Bluff and the Company's other minor investments. Eliminations include the elimination of intersegment transactions.
	In order to evaluate the performance of these operating segments internally, the Company's chief operating decision maker uses Adjusted EBITDA (defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, and adjusted for insurance recoveries net of losses, share-based compensation expenses, pre-opening expenses, the impairment of assets, Big Fish Games transaction expenses, Big Fish Games acquisition-related charges, changes in Big Fish Games deferred revenue and other charges or recoveries). Big Fish Games transaction expenses include legal, accounting and other deal-related expenses.  Big Fish Games acquisition-related charges reflect the change in fair value of the Big Fish Games earnout and deferred consideration liability recorded each reporting period.  Changes in Big Fish Games deferred revenue reflect reductions in revenue from business combination accounting rules when deferred revenue balances assumed as part of an acquisition are adjusted to their fair values.  Fair value approximates the cost of fulfilling the service obligation, plus a reasonable profit margin. Adjusted EBITDA also includes 50% of the operating income or loss of our joint venture, MVG. The Company utilizes the Adjusted EBITDA metric because it believes the inclusion or exclusion of certain recurring and non-recurring items is necessary to provide a more accurate measure of its core operating results and enables management and investors to evaluate and compare from period to period our operating performance in a meaningful and consistent manner. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to operating income as an indicator of performance, as an alternative to cash flows from operating activities as a measure of liquidity, or as an alternative to any other measure provided in accordance with GAAP. The Company's calculation of Adjusted EBITDA may be different from the calculation used by other companies and, therefore, comparability may be limited.
	The table below presents information about the reported segments for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Net revenues from external customers:
	Big Fish Games	$	91,903		$	—
	Casinos:
	Calder Casino	20,379			20,583
	Fair Grounds Slots	11,482			11,784
	VSI	9,184			8,754
	Harlow's Casino	13,680			14,451
	Oxford Casino	17,503			17,519
	Riverwalk Casino	13,187			13,295
	Total Casinos	85,415			86,386
	TwinSpires	45,315			46,084
	Racing:
	Churchill Downs	2,008			2,142
	Arlington	5,812			6,122
	Calder	674			8,024
	Fair Grounds	15,944			14,291
	Total Racing	24,438			30,579
	Other Investments	3,605			3,837
	Corporate	234			255
	Net revenues from external customers	$	250,910		$	167,141
	Intercompany net revenues:
	TwinSpires	$	297		$	230
	Racing:
	Churchill Downs	233			228
	Arlington	958			1,017
	Calder	—			356
	Fair Grounds	858			732
	Total Racing	2,049			2,333
	Other Investments	795			898
	Eliminations	(3,141		)	(3,461		)
	Net revenues	$	—		$	—
	Reconciliation of segment Adjusted EBITDA to net loss:
	Big Fish Games	$	20,026		$	—
	Casinos	28,787			27,251
	TwinSpires	11,190			9,950
	Racing	(9,197		)	(10,250		)
	Other Investments	(668		)	(1,353		)
	Total segment Adjusted EBITDA	50,138			25,598
	Corporate Adjusted EBITDA	(1,867		)	(1,106		)
	Insurance recoveries, net of losses	—			431
	Big Fish Games acquisition charges	(6,400		)	—
	Big Fish Games changes in deferred revenue	(12,876		)	—
	Share-based compensation	(2,723		)	(5,241		)
	Pre-opening costs	—			(27		)
	MVG interest expense, net	(554		)	(540		)
	Other charges and recoveries	6,138			—
	Depreciation and amortization	(27,407		)	(15,284		)
	Interest (expense) income, net	(7,266		)	(4,969		)
	Income tax benefit	1,259			438
	Loss from continuing operations	(1,558		)	(700		)
	Foreign currency translation, net of ($328) tax effected	(387		)	—
	Comprehensive loss	$	(1,945	)	$	(700	)
	The table below presents equity in earnings of unconsolidated investments included in the Company’s reported segments for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Casinos	$	2,558		$	2,041
	TwinSpires	—			220
	Other Investments	390			29
	$	2,948		$	2,290
The table below presents total assets for the reported segments (in thousands):
	March 31, 2015			December 31, 2014
Total assets:
Big Fish Games	$	1,018,086		$	1,009,668
Casinos	616,201			621,240
TwinSpires	183,175			182,322
Racing	455,079			518,517
Other Investments	29,829			30,757
	$	2,302,370		$	2,362,504
The table below presents total capital expenditures for the reported segments for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 (in thousands):
	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2015			2014
Capital expenditures:
Big Fish Games	$	1,163		$	—
Casinos	4,261			2,250
TwinSpires	943			1,592
Racing	3,264			14,037
Other Investments	153			2,290
	$	9,784		$	20,169

Commitments_And_Contingencies

Commitments And Contingencies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments And Contingencies	NOTE 11 — COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
	Legal Proceedings
	The Company records an accrual for legal contingencies to the extent that it concludes that it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Except as disclosed below, no estimate of the possible loss or range of loss in excess of amounts accrued, if any, can be made at this time regarding the matters specifically described below. We do not believe that the final outcome of these matters will have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
	Big Fish Casino
	On April 17, 2015, Cheryl Kater, by and through counsel, filed a Complaint - Class Action styled Cheryl Kater v. Churchill Downs Incorporated. Plaintiff, Cheryl Kater, filed the purported class action lawsuit in the United States District Court, for the Western District of Washington, in Seattle, alleging, among other claims, that the Company’s “Big Fish Casino” violates Washington law, including the Washington Consumer Protection Act, by facilitating unlawful gambling through its virtual casino games (namely the Company’s slots, blackjack, poker, and roulette games offered through Big Fish Casino).  This litigation was just filed, and Plaintiff, through counsel, did not specify or claim a specific amount of damages in the Complaint. Therefore, the Company is unable to reasonably estimate the magnitude of any settlement or potential damages. As a result, the Company does not, at this time, know the extent to which, if at all, this litigation will have a material impact on its business or financial results.
	Louisiana Horsemens' Purses
	On April 21, 2014, John L. Soileau and other individuals filed a Petition for Declaratory Judgment, Permanent Injunction, and Damages - Class Action styled John L. Soileau, et. al. versus Churchill Downs Louisiana Horseracing, LLC, Churchill Downs Louisiana Video Poker Company, LLC (Suit No. 14-3873) in the Parish of Orleans, State of Louisiana.  The petition defines the “alleged plaintiff class” as quarter-horse owners, trainers and jockeys that have won purses at the “Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots” facility in New Orleans, Louisiana since the first effective date of La. R.S. 27:438 and specifically since 2008.  The petition alleges that Churchill Downs Louisiana Horseracing, L.L.C. and Churchill Downs Louisiana Video Poker Company, L.L.C. (“Fair Grounds”) have collected certain monies through video draw poker devices that constitute monies earned for purse supplements and all of those supplemental purse monies have been paid to thoroughbred horsemen during Fair Grounds’ live thoroughbred horse meets while La. R.S. 27:438 requires a portion of those supplemental purse monies to be paid to quarter-horse horsemen during Fair Grounds’ live quarter-horse meets.  The petition requests that the Court declare that Fair Grounds violated La. R.S. 27:438, issue a permanent and mandatory injunction ordering Fair Grounds to pay all future supplements due to the plaintiff class pursuant to La. R.S. 27:438, and to pay the plaintiff class such sums as it finds to reasonably represent the value of the sums due to the plaintiff class. On August 14, 2014, the plaintiffs filed an amendment to their petition naming the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association 1993, Inc. (“HBPA”) as an additional defendant and alleging that HBPA is also liable to plaintiffs for the disputed purse funds.  On October 9, 2014, HBPA and Fair Grounds filed exceptions to the suit, including an exception of primary jurisdiction seeking a referral to the Louisiana Racing Commission.  By Judgment dated November 21, 2014, the District Court granted the exception of primary jurisdiction and referred the matter to the Louisiana Racing Commission.  On January 26, 2015, the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals denied the plaintiffs’ request for supervisory review of the Judgment.  This matter is currently awaiting review by the Louisiana Racing Commission.
	Illinois Department of Revenue
	In October 2012, the Company filed a verified complaint for preliminary and permanent injunctive relief and for declaratory judgment (the “Complaint”) against the Illinois Department of Revenue (the “Department”). The Company's complaint was filed in response to Notices of Deficiency issued by the Department on March 18, 2010, and September 6, 2012. In response to said Notices of Deficiency, the Company, on October 4, 2012, issued a payment in protest in the amount of $2.9 million (the “Protest Payment”) under the State Officers and Employees Money Disposition Act and recorded this amount in other assets. The Company subsequently filed its complaint in November 2012 alleging that the Department erroneously included handle, instead of the Company's commissions from handle, in the computation of the Company's sales factor (a computation of the Company's gross receipts from wagering within the State of Illinois) for determining the applicable tax owed. On October 30, 2012, the Company's Motion for Preliminary Injunctive Relief was granted, which prevents the Department from depositing any monies from the Protest Payment into the State of Illinois General Fund and from taking any further action against the Company until the Circuit Court takes final action on the Company's Complaint. If successful with its Complaint, the Company will be entitled to a full or partial refund of the Protest Payment from the Department. On December 3, 2014, the Company filed its Motion for Summary Judgment on all material aspects of its case. Also on December 3, 2014, the Department, by and through its counsel, the Illinois Attorney General, filed its Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment. This matter remains pending before the Tax and Miscellaneous Remedies Section of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Oral arguments on the parties’ Motions for Summary Judgment occurred on March 5, 2015. The Company is currently awaiting a ruling by the Tax and Miscellaneous Remedies Section of the Circuit Court of Cook County.
	Kentucky Downs
	On September 5, 2012, Kentucky Downs Management, Inc. (“KDMI”) filed a petition for declaration of rights in Kentucky Circuit Court located in Simpson County, Kentucky styled Kentucky Downs Management Inc. v. Churchill Downs Incorporated (Civil Action No. 12-CI-330) (the “Simpson County Case”) requesting a declaration that the Company does not have the right to exercise its put right and require Kentucky Downs, LLC (“Kentucky Downs”) and/or Kentucky Downs Partners, LLC (“KDP”) to purchase the Company’s ownership interest in Kentucky Downs. On September 18, 2012, the Company filed a complaint in Kentucky Circuit Court located in Jefferson County, Kentucky, styled Churchill Downs Incorporated v. Kentucky Downs, LLC; Kentucky Downs Partners, LLC; and Kentucky Downs Management Inc. (Civil Action No. 12-CI-04989) (the “Jefferson County Case”) claiming that Kentucky Downs and KDP had breached the operating agreement for Kentucky Downs and requesting a declaration that the Company had validly exercised its put right and a judgment compelling Kentucky Downs and/or KDP to purchase the Company’s ownership interest in Kentucky Downs pursuant to the terms of the applicable operating agreement. On October 9, 2012, the Company filed a motion to dismiss the Simpson County Case and Kentucky Downs, KDP and KDMI filed a motion to dismiss the Jefferson County Case. A hearing for the motion to dismiss in the Simpson County Case occurred November 30, 2012. At that hearing the Company’s motion to dismiss the Simpson County Case was denied. Subsequently, Kentucky Downs, KDMI and KDP’s motion to dismiss the Jefferson County Case was granted on January 23, 2013, due to the Simpson County Circuit Court’s assertion of jurisdiction over the dispute. On May 16, 2013, Kentucky Downs, KDP and KDMI filed a Motion for Summary Judgment against the Company and Turfway Park, LLC. On September 19, 2013, the Company filed its response to the Motion for Summary Judgment. A hearing occurred before the Simpson County Circuit Court on September 23, 2013, on the Kentucky Downs, KDP and KDMI Motion for Summary Judgment. All parties appeared before the Simpson County Court and oral arguments were heard. On October 31, 2013, the Simpson County Court entered an Order Denying Petitioners’ (Kentucky Downs Management Inc. et al.) Motion for Summary Judgment. The case will now move forward through discovery and to trial. No trial date has been set.
	Texas Pari-Mutuel Wagering
	On September 21, 2012, the Company filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas styled Churchill Downs Incorporated; Churchill Downs Technology Initiatives Company d/b/a TwinSpires.com v. Chuck Trout, in his official capacity as Executive Director of the Texas Racing Commission; Gary P. Aber, Susan Combs, Ronald F. Ederer, Gloria Hicks, Michael F. Martin, Allan Polunsky, Robert Schmidt, John T. Steen III, Vicki Smith Weinberg, in their official capacity as members of the Texas Racing Commission (Case No. 1:12-cv-00880-LY) challenging the constitutionality of a Texas law requiring residents of Texas that desire to wager on horseraces to wager in person at a Texas race track. In addition to its complaint, on September 21, 2012, the Company filed a motion for preliminary injunction seeking to enjoin the state from taking any action to enforce the law in question. In response, on October 9, 2012, counsel for the state assured both the Company and the court that the state would not enforce the law in question against the Company without prior notice, at which time the court could then consider the motion for preliminary injunction. On April 15, 2013, both parties filed their opening briefs, and a trial was held on May 2, 2013. On September 23, 2013, the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas ruled against the Company and upheld the Texas law at issue. Subsequently, on September 25, 2013, the Company ceased taking wagers from Texas residents via TwinSpires.com and returned deposited funds to Texas residents. The Company filed a motion for an expedited hearing in the United States Court of Appeals, which was granted on October 17, 2013. The Texas Racing Commission, et. al., filed an appellate brief on December 13, 2013. The Company filed its brief in reply on December 30, 2013. Oral arguments were heard before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on February 4, 2014. On September 25, 2014, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued an unpublished opinion affirming the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas and its ruling in favor of the Texas Racing Commission.
	There are no other material pending legal proceedings.

Accounting_Pronouncements_Note

Accounting Pronouncements (Notes)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]	NOTE 12 — RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
	In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU No. 2015-03, Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs, which requires debt issuance cost to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction of the carrying value of the associated debt liability, consistent with the presentation of a debt discount. Prior to the issuance of the standard, debt issuance costs were required to be presented in the balance sheet as a deferred asset. The new standard will become effective for annual fiscal periods beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company does not expect adoption to have a material impact on the Company's business, financial condition or results of operations.
	In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-15, Disclosures of Uncertainties about an Entity's Ability to Continue as a Going Concern, which explicitly requires management to assess an entity's ability to continue as a going concern, and to provide related footnote disclosures in certain circumstances. Management will be required to assess, in each interim and annual period, if there is substantial doubt of an entity's ability to continue as a going concern as evidenced by relevant known or knowable conditions including an entity's ability to meet its future obligations. Management will be required to provide disclosures regardless of whether substantial doubt is alleviated by management's plans. The guidance will become effective for annual fiscal periods ending after December 15, 2016.
	In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which provides a five-step analysis of transactions to determine when and how revenue is recognized.  The core principle is that a company should recognize revenue in a manner that depicts the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The revised guidance will become effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and will be applied retrospectively to each period presented or as a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the date of adoption. The Company is assessing the impact of the new accounting guidance and cannot currently estimate the financial statement impact of adoption.

Calder_Racing_Operations_Notes

Calder Racing Operations (Notes)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Calder Racing [Abstract]
Calder Racing Operations [Text Block]	NOTE 13 — CALDER RACING
	On July 1, 2014, the Company finalized an agreement with The Stronach Group (“TSG”) under which TSG operates, at TSG’s expense, live racing and maintains certain facilities used for racing and training at Calder. The agreement, which expires on December 31, 2020, involves a lease to TSG of Calder’s racetrack and certain other racing and training facilities. TSG operates live horse racing at Calder, under Calder’s racing permits, in compliance with all applicable laws and licensing requirements and maintains the racing and training facilities at Calder on a year-round basis. Furthermore, TSG is responsible for substantially all of the direct and indirect costs associated with these activities and receives the associated revenues. The Company continues to own and operate the Calder Casino.
	As a result of the agreement with TSG, Calder recognized accelerated depreciation expense of approximately $2.4 million during the year ended December 31, 2014 primarily related to Calder's barns, which were not expected to be utilized subsequent to December 31, 2014. During the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company continued its assessment of potential alternative uses of its Calder facility not associated with the lease agreement, and as a result, Calder commenced the demolition of its barns not associated with the TSG agreement. Calder expects to fund and capitalize approximately $0.8 million in expenditures during 2015 for construction costs to remove the barns and to prepare the stable area for alternate future uses.

HRTV_Equity_Investment_Divesti

HRTV Equity Investment Divestiture (Notes)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
HRTV Equity Investiture Divestiture [Abstract]
Mergers, Acquisitions and Dispositions Disclosures [Text Block]	NOTE 14 — HRTV EQUITY INVESTMENT DIVESTITURE
	As part of the TSG agreement related to the cessation of Calder pari-mutuel operations during 2014, the Company modified its HRTV operating and ownership agreement with TSG resulting in the divestiture of the Company's interest in HRTV effective January 2, 2015. During January 2015, we received $6.0 million in proceeds from the sale of the ownership interest. The Company recorded a gain of $5.8 million in its Other Investments segment, which has been excluded from Segment Adjusted EBITDA and is included in other charges and recoveries in the reconciliation of Segment Adjusted EBITDA to Comprehensive Loss.

Basis_Of_Presentation_Policies

Basis Of Presentation (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Revenue Recognition	The Company’s revenues and earnings are seasonal in nature, primarily due to its Racing segment. Therefore, revenues and operating results for any interim quarter are generally not indicative of the revenues and operating results for the year and may not be comparable with results for the corresponding period of the previous year. For instance, the Company historically has had fewer live racing days during the first quarter of each year, and the majority of its live racing revenue occurs during the second quarter, with the running of the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks. The Company conducted 57 live thoroughbred racing days during the first quarter of 2015, which compares to 97 live thoroughbred racing days during the first quarter of 2014. This decrease is primarily related to the cessation of pari-mutuel operations at Calder Race Course in July 2014. Furthermore, casino revenues and earnings have historically been higher during the first quarter due to seasonal revenues from the Company's predominately southern casino properties.
Customer Loyalty Programs	The Company’s customer loyalty programs offer incentives to customers who wager at the Company’s racetracks, through its advance deposit wagering platform, TwinSpires.com, or at its casino facilities. The TSC Elite program is for pari-mutuel wagering at the Company’s racetracks or through TwinSpires.com. The Player’s Club is offered at the Company’s casino facilities in Louisiana, Florida, Maine and Mississippi. At each of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the outstanding reward point liabilities were $1.7 million and were included in accrued expenses.
Promotional Allowances	Promotional allowances, which include the Company’s customer loyalty programs, primarily consist of the retail value of complimentary goods and services provided to guests at no charge. The retail value of these promotional allowances is included in gross revenue and then deducted to arrive at net revenue.
Game Technology and Rights [Policy Text Block]	Game Technology and Rights
	Game technology and rights are purchased from third-party developers before the games have been produced or launched. The Company pays amounts to these developers as they reach agreed-upon milestones. Once the game is launched, the Company amortizes its game technology and rights on an accelerated basis over the useful life of the game, which is generally one year.
Research and Development Expense, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Research and Development
	Costs incurred for research and development activities are expensed as incurred. Development costs associated with software to be sold are capitalized when technological feasibility has been established through the date the product is available for general release.

Acquisition_and_New_Ventures_T

Acquisition and New Ventures (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Acquisitions and New Ventures [Abstract]
Schedule of Recognized Identified Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed [Table Text Block]
		Total
	Accounts receivable	$	19,274
	Income taxes receivable	18,087
	Prepaid expenses	9,727
	Deferred income taxes	1,708
	Other assets	1,780
	Property and equipment	14,632
	Goodwill	540,331
	Other intangible assets	362,863
	Total assets acquired	968,402
	Accounts payable	9,064
	Accrued expenses	19,217
	Income taxes payable	210
	Deferred revenue	37,250
	Deferred income taxes	96,182
	Other liabilities	2,821
	Total liabilities acquired	164,744
	Purchase price, net of cash acquired	$	803,658
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Information [Table Text Block]	The unaudited pro forma results have been prepared for comparative purposes only and do not purport to be indicative of the results of operations that would have occurred had the acquisition of Big Fish Games been consummated at the beginning of 2014 (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2014
	Net revenues	$	241,462
	Loss from continuing operations	$	(1,638	)

Investment_in_and_Advances_to_1

Investment in and Advances to Unconsolidated Affiliate (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates, Schedule of Investments [Abstract]
Affiliate Balance Sheet [Table Text Block]	Summarized financial information for MVG is comprised of the following (in thousands):
		March 31, 2015			December 31, 2014
	Assets
	Current assets	$	22,466		$	24,943
	Property and equipment, net	128,418			130,868
	Other assets, net	105,059			105,059
	Total assets	$	255,943		$	260,870
	Liabilities and Members' Equity
	Current liabilities	$	15,231		$	16,775
	Current portion of long-term debt	8,332			8,332
	Long-term debt, excluding current portion	25,094			26,584
	Other liabilities	75			83
	Members' equity	207,211			209,096
	Total liabilities and members' equity	$	255,943		$	260,870
Affiliate Income Statement [Table Text Block]
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Casino revenue	$	32,044		$	31,163
	Non-casino revenue	1,957			1,631
	Net revenues	34,001			32,794
	Operating and SG&A expenses	24,634			24,211
	Depreciation & amortization expenses	3,144			3,367
	Pre-opening expenses	—			54
	Operating income	6,223			5,162
	Interest (expense) income, net	(1,108		)	(1,080		)
	Net income	$	5,115		$	4,082
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Table Text Block]	The Company's 50% share of MVG's results has been included in our accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Equity in gains of unconsolidated investments	$	2,558		$	2,041

Goodwill_And_IndefiniteLived_I1

Goodwill And Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets Impairment Test (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Goodwill [Table Text Block]
		Big Fish Games		Casinos			TwinSpires		Racing		Other			Total
											Investments
	Goodwill as of December 31, 2014	$	540,331	$	117,659		$	127,364	$	51,659	$	3,934		$	840,947
	Adjustments	—		—			—		—		—			—
	Goodwill as of March 31, 2015	$	540,331	$	117,659		$	127,364	$	51,659	$	3,934		$	840,947
Schedule of Indefinite and Finite Lived Assets
		March 31, 2015							December 31, 2014
		Gross Carrying Value		Accumulated Amortization			Net Book Value		Gross Carrying Value		Accumulated Amortization			Net Book Value
	Definite-lived intangible assets	$	238,865	$	(61,476	)	$	177,389	$	238,865	$	(47,236	)	$	191,629
	Indefinite-lived intangible assets	358,343		—			358,343		358,343		—			358,343
	Total	$	597,208	$	(61,476	)	$	535,732	$	597,208	$	(47,236	)	$	549,972

Fair_Value_Of_Assets_And_Liabi1

Fair Value Of Assets And Liabilities (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring	The following tables present the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 (in thousands):
			March 31, 2015
			Level 1			Level 2			Level 3
	Cash equivalents and restricted cash		$	21,100		$	—		$	—
	Big Fish Games deferred payments		—			—			80,400
	Big Fish Games earnout liability		—			—			332,600
	Senior unsecured notes		—			305,250			—
	Bluff contingent consideration liability		—			—			2,331
	Total		$	21,100		$	305,250		$	415,331
			December 31, 2014
			Level 1			Level 2			Level 3
	Cash equivalents and restricted cash		$	27,464		$	—		$	—
	Big Fish Games deferred payments		—			—			78,800
	Big Fish Games earnout liability		—			—			327,800
	Senior unsecured notes		—			299,250			—
	Bluff contingent consideration liability		—			—			2,331
	Total		$	27,464		$	299,250		$	408,931
	The following table presents the change in fair value of the Company's level 3 liabilities during the three months ended March 31, 2015 (in thousands):
		Fair Value Measurements Using Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
		Big Fish Games Deferred Payments			Big Fish Games Earnout Liability			Bluff Contingent Consideration			Total
	Balance as of December 31, 2014	$	78,800		$	327,800		$	2,331		$	408,931
	Change in fair value	1,600			4,800			—			6,400
	Balance as of March 31, 2015	$	80,400		$	332,600		$	2,331		$	415,331

Loss_Per_Common_Share_Computat1

Loss Per Common Share Computations (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of Loss Per Share, Basic and Diluted	The following is a reconciliation of the numerator and denominator of the loss per common share computations (in thousands, except per share data):
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Numerator basic and diluted loss per common share	$	(1,558	)	$	(700	)
	Denominator basic and diluted net loss per common share	17,268			17,419
	Loss per common share:
	Basic	$	(0.09	)	$	(0.04	)
	Diluted	$	(0.09	)	$	(0.04	)

Segment_Information_Tables

Segment Information (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment	The table below presents information about the reported segments for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Net revenues from external customers:
	Big Fish Games	$	91,903		$	—
	Casinos:
	Calder Casino	20,379			20,583
	Fair Grounds Slots	11,482			11,784
	VSI	9,184			8,754
	Harlow's Casino	13,680			14,451
	Oxford Casino	17,503			17,519
	Riverwalk Casino	13,187			13,295
	Total Casinos	85,415			86,386
	TwinSpires	45,315			46,084
	Racing:
	Churchill Downs	2,008			2,142
	Arlington	5,812			6,122
	Calder	674			8,024
	Fair Grounds	15,944			14,291
	Total Racing	24,438			30,579
	Other Investments	3,605			3,837
	Corporate	234			255
	Net revenues from external customers	$	250,910		$	167,141
	Intercompany net revenues:
	TwinSpires	$	297		$	230
	Racing:
	Churchill Downs	233			228
	Arlington	958			1,017
	Calder	—			356
	Fair Grounds	858			732
	Total Racing	2,049			2,333
	Other Investments	795			898
	Eliminations	(3,141		)	(3,461		)
	Net revenues	$	—		$	—
	Reconciliation of segment Adjusted EBITDA to net loss:
	Big Fish Games	$	20,026		$	—
	Casinos	28,787			27,251
	TwinSpires	11,190			9,950
	Racing	(9,197		)	(10,250		)
	Other Investments	(668		)	(1,353		)
	Total segment Adjusted EBITDA	50,138			25,598
	Corporate Adjusted EBITDA	(1,867		)	(1,106		)
	Insurance recoveries, net of losses	—			431
	Big Fish Games acquisition charges	(6,400		)	—
	Big Fish Games changes in deferred revenue	(12,876		)	—
	Share-based compensation	(2,723		)	(5,241		)
	Pre-opening costs	—			(27		)
	MVG interest expense, net	(554		)	(540		)
	Other charges and recoveries	6,138			—
	Depreciation and amortization	(27,407		)	(15,284		)
	Interest (expense) income, net	(7,266		)	(4,969		)
	Income tax benefit	1,259			438
	Loss from continuing operations	(1,558		)	(700		)
	Foreign currency translation, net of ($328) tax effected	(387		)	—
	Comprehensive loss	$	(1,945	)	$	(700	)
Reconciliation of Assets from Segment to Consolidated	The table below presents equity in earnings of unconsolidated investments included in the Company’s reported segments for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Casinos	$	2,558		$	2,041
	TwinSpires	—			220
	Other Investments	390			29
		$	2,948		$	2,290
	The table below presents total capital expenditures for the reported segments for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Capital expenditures:
	Big Fish Games	$	1,163		$	—
	Casinos	4,261			2,250
	TwinSpires	943			1,592
	Racing	3,264			14,037
	Other Investments	153			2,290
		$	9,784		$	20,169
	The table below presents total assets for the reported segments (in thousands):
		March 31, 2015			December 31, 2014
	Total assets:
	Big Fish Games	$	1,018,086		$	1,009,668
	Casinos	616,201			621,240
	TwinSpires	183,175			182,322
	Racing	455,079			518,517
	Other Investments	29,829			30,757
		$	2,302,370		$	2,362,504

Basis_Of_Presentation_Details

Basis Of Presentation (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
	D	D
Promotional Allowance [Line Items]
Research and development	$10,232,000	$0
Live Racing Days	57	97
Promotional Allowances	7,100,000	7,600,000
Estimated Cost Of Providing Promotional Allowances	2,000,000	2,400,000
Customer Loyalty Program Liability, Current	1,700,000		1,700,000
TwinSpires [Member]
Promotional Allowance [Line Items]
Promotional Allowances	2,800,000	2,700,000
Racing Segment [Member]
Promotional Allowance [Line Items]
Promotional Allowances	100,000	100,000
Casino Segment [Member]
Promotional Allowance [Line Items]
Promotional Allowances	$4,200,000	$4,700,000

Acquisitions_And_New_Ventures_

Acquisitions And New Ventures (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		0 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 16, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Oct. 28, 2014
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Revenues	$0	$0
Tax refund due to Big Fish Games former equity holders	6,313,000			18,087,000
Goodwill, Purchase Accounting Adjustments	1,400,000
Business Combination, Provisional Information, Initial Accounting Incomplete, Adjustment, Deferred Income Taxes	800,000
Business Combination, Provisional Information, Initial Accounting Incomplete, Adjustment, Accrued Expenses	2,200,000
Deferred payments to Big Fish Games former equity holders	12,700,000
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	-2,817,000	-1,138,000
Big Fish Games [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Revenues	91,900,000
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross			838,300,000
Future Business Acquisition, Cost Of Acquired Entity, Cash paid			401,700,000
Deferred Payment-Founder			85,300,000
Deferred Founders Payment,Time Payable				3 years
Deferred Payment-Founder, Fair Value			78,000,000
Tax refund due to Big Fish Games former equity holders			18,100,000
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Value Assigned			15,800,000
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares				157,115
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High			350,000,000
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability			324,700,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Cash and Equivalents			34,700,000
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	5,800,000
Saratoga Casino Holdings, LLC [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage					25.00%
Secured Debt [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Other Loans Payable, Long-term, Noncurrent				$200,000,000
Gideon Putnam Hotel and Resort [Member] | Saratoga Casino Holdings, LLC [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage					50.00%

Acquisitions_And_New_Ventures_1

Acquisitions And New Ventures Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed (Details) (Big Fish Games [Member], USD $)	Dec. 16, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Big Fish Games [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Current Assets, Receivables	$19,274
Business Combination, Income Taxes Receivable	18,087
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Current Assets, Prepaid Expense and Other Assets	9,727
Business Combination, Assets, Deferred Income Taxes	1,708
Business Combination, Other Assets	1,780
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Property, Plant, and Equipment	14,632
Business Acquisition, Goodwill, Expected Tax Deductible Amount	540,331
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill	362,863
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Assets	968,402
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Current Liabilities, Accounts Payable	9,064
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Current Liabilities, Accrued Expenses	19,217
Business Combination, Income Tax Payable	210
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Current Liabilities, Deferred Revenue	37,250
Business Combination, Liabilities, Deferred Income Taxes	96,182
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Current Liabilities, Other	2,821
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Liabilities	164,744
Future Business Acquisition, Cost Of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price	$803,658

Acquisitions_And_New_Ventures_2

Acquisitions And New Ventures Pro Forma Information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Net revenues	$241,462
Loss from continuing operations	($1,638)

Natural_Disasters_Details

Natural Disasters (Details) (Churchill Downs, Hail [Member], USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2012
Churchill Downs | Hail [Member]
Business Interruption Loss [Line Items]
Insurance Deductible		$0.50
Insurance Settlements, Cash Settlement Received	$0.40

Investment_in_and_Advances_to_2

Investment in and Advances to Unconsolidated Affiliate (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		0 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 21, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014
				sqft
				acre
				mi
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]
Repayments of Notes Payable	$10,400,000
Dividend from investment in unconsolidated affiliate	3,500,000	0
Miami Valley Gaming and Racing [Member]
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage				50.00%
Equity Method Investments			60,000,000
Note Payable, Term			6 years
Equity Method Investments, Contingent Payable			10,000,000
Acres				120
Race Track, Length				0.625
Square footage of Casino				186,000
Number of Lottery Terminals	1,570
Equity Method Investments, Facility Cost				204,600,000
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Fixed Interest, Percentage Rate	5.00%
Funded at Closing [Member] | Miami Valley Gaming and Racing [Member]
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments			10,000,000
Notes Payable, Other Payables [Member] | Miami Valley Gaming and Racing [Member]
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments			$50,000,000

Investment_in_and_Advances_to_3

Investment in and Advances to Unconsolidated Affiliate Equity Method Investment (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	$2,948	$2,290
Equity Method Investment-Gaming Revenue	32,044	31,163
Equity Method Investment-Non-Gaming Revenue	1,957	1,631
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Revenue	34,001	32,794
Equity Method Investment-Expenses	24,634	24,211
Equity Method, Depreciation & Amortization	3,144	3,367
Equity Method Investment-Pre-Opening Expenses	0	54
Equity Method Investment Operating Income Loss	6,223	5,162
Equity Method Investment-Interest	-1,108	-1,080
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Net Income (Loss)	5,115	4,082
Miami Valley Gaming and Racing [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	$2,558	$2,041

Investment_in_and_Advances_to_4

Investment in and Advances to Unconsolidated Affiliate Affiliate Balance Sheet (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates, Affiliate Balance Sheet [Abstract]
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Current Assets	$22,466	$24,943
Equity Method Investment-Property Plant & Equipment	128,418	130,868
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Noncurrent Assets	105,059	105,059
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Assets	255,943	260,870
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Current Liabilities	15,231	16,775
Equity Method Investment-Long-term Debt, Current Maturities	8,332	8,332
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Noncurrent Liabilities	25,094	26,584	50,000
Investment Affiliate-Other Liabilities	75	83
Equity Method Investment Summarized Financial Information, Equity	207,211	209,096
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Liabilities and Equity	$255,943	$260,870

Income_Taxes_Details

Income Taxes (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Oct. 04, 2012
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued	$0.10
Effective Income Tax Rate, Continuing Operations	45.00%	38.00%
Other Assets			2.9
Gross unrecognized tax benefits	3
Total amount of unrecognized tax benefits, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate	1.6
Business Combination, Indemnification Assets, Amount as of Acquisition Date	$1.10

Goodwill_And_IndefiniteLived_I2

Goodwill And Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets Impairment Test - Intangible Assets (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Goodwill
Goodwill	$840,947	$840,947
Goodwill, Acquired During Period	0
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)
Definite-lived intangible assets, gross carrying amount	238,865	238,865
Definite-lived intangible assets, accumulated amortization	-61,476	-47,236
Definite-lived intangible assets, net book value	177,389	191,629
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	535,732	549,972
Indefinite-lived intangible assets, gross carrying value	358,343	358,343
Intangible Assets Excluding Goodwill, Gross	597,208	597,208
Big Fish Games [Member]
Goodwill
Goodwill	540,331	540,331
Goodwill, Acquired During Period	0
Casino Segment [Member]
Goodwill
Goodwill	117,659	117,659
Goodwill, Acquired During Period	0
TwinSpires [Member]
Goodwill
Goodwill	127,364	127,364
Goodwill, Acquired During Period	0
Racing Segment [Member]
Goodwill
Goodwill	51,659	51,659
Goodwill, Acquired During Period	0
Other Investments Segment [Member]
Goodwill
Goodwill	3,934	3,934
Goodwill, Acquired During Period	$0

Fair_Value_Of_Assets_And_Liabi2

Fair Value Of Assets And Liabilities (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair Value, Measurement with Unobservable Inputs Reconciliations, Recurring Basis, Liability Value	$415,331	$408,931
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	387,257	459,105
Fair Value, Measurement with Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation, Recurring Basis, Asset, Gain (Loss) Included in Earnings	6,400
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash equivalents and restricted cash	21,100	27,464
Deferred Payment-Founder, Fair Value	0	0
Contingent consideration liability	0	0
Long-term Debt, Fair Value	0	0
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0
Deferred Payment-Founder, Fair Value	0	0
Contingent consideration liability	0	0
Long-term Debt, Fair Value	305,250	299,250
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0
Deferred Payment-Founder, Fair Value	80,400	78,800
Contingent consideration liability	2,331	2,331
Long-term Debt, Fair Value	0	0
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability	332,600	327,800
Unsecured Debt [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	$300,000

Longterm_Incentive_Plan_Detail

Long-term Incentive Plan (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 21, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Authorized	131,000			84,500	92,000
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense	$2,723,000	$5,241,000
Trading Days			20 days
Share-Based Compensation Arrangements by Share Based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than options vested in period	239,500
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized	13,600,000
Omnibus Stock Incentive Plans, 2007 New LTIP [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense	$1,800,000
Common Stock [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Term	7 months
Common Stock [Member] | Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Term	3 years
Weighted average period over which unrecognized compensation is expected to be recognized for equity-based compensation plan	20 months
Performance-Based Awards [Member] | Restricted Stock [Member] | Churchill 2004 and 2007 Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Number			324,000

Loss_Per_Common_Share_Computat2

Loss Per Common Share Computations (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net Loss Available to Common Stockholders, Basic	($1,558)	($700)
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Loss Per Share, Amount	400,000	500,000
Loss Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Abstract]
Basic (in shares)	17,268,000	17,419,000
Diluted (in shares)	17,268,000	17,419,000
Net loss (in dollars per share), Basic	($0.09)	($0.04)
Net loss (in dollars per share), Diluted	($0.09)	($0.04)

Segment_Information_Informatio

Segment Information - Information About Reported Segments (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
	Segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of Operating Segments	5
Net revenues from external customers	$250,910	$167,141
Intercompany net revenues	0	0
Adjusted Segment EBITDA	50,138	25,598
Adjusted Corporate EBITDA	-1,867	-1,106
Insurance Recoveries, Net of Losses	0	431
Acquisition Related Contingent Consideration Costs	-6,400	0
Increase (Decrease) in Deferred Revenue of Acquisition	-12,876	0
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense	-2,723	-5,241
Pre-Opening Costs	0	-27
MVG interest expense, net	-554	-540
Other Nonrecurring Expense	6,138	0
Depreciation and Amortization	-27,407	-15,284
Interest Income (Expense), Net	-7,266	-4,969
Income tax benefit	1,259	438
Net loss	-1,558	-700
Foreign currency translation, net of ($328) tax effect	-387	0
Comprehensive loss	-1,945	-700
Arlington Park
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number Of Off Track Betting Palors	10
Fair Grounds
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number Of Off Track Betting Palors	12
Big Fish Games [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net revenues from external customers	91,903	0
Adjusted Segment EBITDA	20,026	0
Casino Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net revenues from external customers	85,415	86,386
Adjusted Segment EBITDA	28,787	27,251
Casino Segment [Member] | Calder Casinos
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net revenues from external customers	20,379	20,583
Casino Segment [Member] | Fair Grounds Slots
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net revenues from external customers	11,482	11,784
Casino Segment [Member] | VSI
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net revenues from external customers	9,184	8,754
Casino Segment [Member] | Harlows Casino
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net revenues from external customers	13,680	14,451
Casino Segment [Member] | Oxford Acquisition [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net revenues from external customers	17,503	17,519
Casino Segment [Member] | Riverwalk Casino
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net revenues from external customers	13,187	13,295
TwinSpires [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net revenues from external customers	45,315	46,084
Intercompany net revenues	297	230
Adjusted Segment EBITDA	11,190	9,950
Racing Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net revenues from external customers	24,438	30,579
Intercompany net revenues	2,049	2,333
Adjusted Segment EBITDA	-9,197	-10,250
Racing Segment [Member] | Churchill Downs
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net revenues from external customers	2,008	2,142
Intercompany net revenues	233	228
Racing Segment [Member] | Arlington Park
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net revenues from external customers	5,812	6,122
Intercompany net revenues	958	1,017
Racing Segment [Member] | Calder
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net revenues from external customers	674	8,024
Intercompany net revenues	0	356
Racing Segment [Member] | Fair Grounds
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net revenues from external customers	15,944	14,291
Intercompany net revenues	858	732
Other Investments Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net revenues from external customers	3,605	3,837
Intercompany net revenues	795	898
Adjusted Segment EBITDA	-668	-1,353
Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net revenues from external customers	234	255
Intersegment Elimination
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intercompany net revenues	($3,141)	($3,461)

Segment_Information_Equity_in_

Segment Information - Equity in Earnings (Losses) of Unconsolidated Investments (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting, Other Significant Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Equity in gains of unconsolidated investments	($2,948)	($2,290)
Casino Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting, Other Significant Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Equity in gains of unconsolidated investments	-2,558	-2,041
TwinSpires [Member]
Segment Reporting, Other Significant Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Equity in gains of unconsolidated investments	0	-220
Other Investments Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting, Other Significant Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Equity in gains of unconsolidated investments	($390)	($29)

Segment_Information_Total_Asse

Segment Information - Total Asset Information For Segments (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets	$2,302,370		$2,362,504
Capital expenditures	9,784	20,169
Big Fish Games [Member]
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets	1,018,086		1,009,668
Capital expenditures	1,163	0
Casino Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets	616,201		621,240
Capital expenditures	4,261	2,250
TwinSpires [Member]
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets	183,175		182,322
Capital expenditures	943	1,592
Racing Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets	455,079		518,517
Capital expenditures	3,264	14,037
Other Investments Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets	29,829		30,757
Capital expenditures	$153	$2,290

Commitments_And_Contingencies_

Commitments And Contingencies - Loss Contingencies (Details) (USD $)	Oct. 04, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Other Assets	$2.90

Calder_Racing_Operations_Detai

Calder Racing Operations (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015
Calder Racing [Abstract]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Accelerated Depreciation	$2.40
Demolition Expense	$0.80

HRTV_Equity_Investment_Divesti1

HRTV Equity Investment Divestiture (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
HRTV Equity Investiture Divestiture [Abstract]
Payments for (Proceeds from) Investments	$6,000,000
Gain on sale of equity investment	$5,817,000	$0