Erie, Pa. slots parlor opens

ERIE, Pa. (AP) — The doors opened Wednesday at the first slot machine parlor in western Pennsylvania as several hundred people cheered and Elvis Presley’s “Viva Las Vegas” blared.

Presque Isle Downs, Pennsylvania’s fourth slots parlor, has 2,000 slot machines and 650 employees, many of whom greeted the crowd Wednesday in tuxedos and flapper dresses to go with the casino’s 1920s theme. Minutes later, the football-field sized facility filled with the sounds of chiming and clanking as gamblers sat down and began feeding the machines.

“What a great day for Erie. What a great day for the whole area,” said Ted Arneault, chief executive of MTR Gaming Group Inc., of Chester, W.Va., which owns the slots parlor “It’s just going to be a whole new era of entertainment for Erie. The whole concept is to have a good time.”

A horse racing track is also under construction and is expected to open later this year. The $250 million facility will feature five bars, a buffet and a restaurant overlooking the racetrack.