Segment Information - Information About Reported Segments (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015 Segments	Mar. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of Operating Segments	5us-gaap_NumberOfOperatingSegments
Net revenues from external customers	$ 250,910us-gaap_SalesRevenueServicesNet	$ 167,141us-gaap_SalesRevenueServicesNet
Intercompany net revenues	0us-gaap_Revenues	0us-gaap_Revenues
Adjusted Segment EBITDA	50,138chdn_AdjustedSegmentEBITDA	25,598chdn_AdjustedSegmentEBITDA
Adjusted Corporate EBITDA	(1,867)chdn_AdjustedCorporateEBITDA	(1,106)chdn_AdjustedCorporateEBITDA
Insurance Recoveries, Net of Losses	0chdn_InsuranceRecoveriesNetOfLosses	431chdn_InsuranceRecoveriesNetOfLosses
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	0us-gaap_PreOpeningCosts	(27)us-gaap_PreOpeningCosts
MVG interest expense, net	(554)us-gaap_InterestExpenseRelatedParty	(540)us-gaap_InterestExpenseRelatedParty
Other Nonrecurring Expense	6,138us-gaap_OtherNonrecurringExpense	0us-gaap_OtherNonrecurringExpense
Depreciation and Amortization	(27,407)us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization	(15,284)us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization
Interest Income (Expense), Net	(7,266)us-gaap_InterestIncomeExpenseNet	(4,969)us-gaap_InterestIncomeExpenseNet
Income tax benefit	1,259us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit	438us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Net loss	(1,558)	(700)
Foreign currency translation, net of ($328) tax effect	(387)	0
Comprehensive loss	(1,945)us-gaap_ComprehensiveIncomeNetOfTax	(700)us-gaap_ComprehensiveIncomeNetOfTax
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)

Amount of increase (decrease) in the value of the earnout and deferred founder liability

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Corporate earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, insurance recoveries net of losses, HRE Trust Fund proceeds, share based compensation expenses, pre-opening expenses, including those of its equity investments, the impairment of assets and other charges or recoveries

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Segment earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, insurance recoveries net of losses, HRE Trust Fund proceeds, share based compensation expenses, pre-opening expenses, including those of its equity investments, the impairment of assets and other charges or recoveries

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The acquisition's increase (decrease) during the reporting period, excluding the portion taken into income, in the liability reflecting revenue yet to earned for which cash or other forms of consideration was received or recorded as a receivable

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Number Of Off Track Betting Palors

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Represents the expense recognized during the period arising from equity-based compensation arrangements (for example, shares of stock, unit, stock options or other equity instruments) with employees, directors and certain consultants qualifying for treatment as employees.

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Amount after tax of increase (decrease) in equity from transactions and other events and circumstances from net income and other comprehensive income, attributable to parent entity. Excludes changes in equity resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners.

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Amount of income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to the parent. Also defined as revenue less expenses and taxes from ongoing operations before extraordinary items but after deduction of those portions of income or loss from continuing operations that are allocable to noncontrolling interests.

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Amount of interest expense incurred on a debt or other obligation to related party.

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Number of operating segments. An operating segment is a component of an enterprise: (a) that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses (including revenues and expenses relating to transactions with other components of the same enterprise), (b) whose operating results are regularly reviewed by the enterprise's chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and (c) for which discrete financial information is available. An operating segment may engage in business activities for which it has yet to earn revenues, for example, start-up operations may be operating segments before earning revenues.

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Amount after tax and reclassification adjustments of gain (loss) on foreign currency translation adjustments, foreign currency transactions designated and effective as economic hedges of a net investment in a foreign entity and intra-entity foreign currency transactions that are of a long-term-investment nature.

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Amount of other expense that is infrequent in occurrence or unusual in nature.

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Expenditures associated with opening new locations which are noncapital in nature and expensed as incurred.

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Amount of revenue recognized from goods sold, services rendered, insurance premiums, or other activities that constitute an earning process. Includes, but is not limited to, investment and interest income before deduction of interest expense when recognized as a component of revenue, and sales and trading gain (loss).

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Aggregate revenue during the period from services rendered in the normal course of business, after deducting allowances and discounts.

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