As racing begins in Valley, new projects, policies set at nearby casinos, racinos

By ROBERT CONNELLY

rconnelly@vindy.com

AUSTINTOWN

Several gaming facilities within an hour or two driving distance of Youngstown have gone through or planned changes since ground was broken for Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course last May.

Some of the changes are positive, but some are negative as the gaming landscape in the country continues to change.

Live thoroughbred racing begins Monday at Hollywood Gaming, nine weeks after it opened to Mahoning Valley residents Sept. 17 with 850 video lottery terminals.

WEST VIRGINIA

Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort, based in Chester, W. Va., for example, will cut racing days and plans a smoking ban next summer as the Hancock County Board of Health approved that measure in recent months.

On Sept. 4, Mountaineer emailed players of the facility: “It is with great disappointment that we report that the Hancock County Board of Health unanimously voted in favor of the smoking ban last week, with no exemptions or compromises.”

The smoking ban was approved Aug. 26 and goes into effect July 1.

In the email, Mountaineer said: “We hope to forge ahead in our efforts and explore other avenues in hopes of gaining compromise prior to the effective date of July 1, 2015.”

But Jackie Huff, Hancock County Board of Health administrator, said talks about compromises or exemptions were done before the unanimous vote for the smoking ban. She also said the board had discussed a smoking ban for years and the movement toward one gained momentum about a year ago. Hancock County became the 27th county in West Virginia to adopt a smoking ban.

According to minutes of the West Virginia Racing Commission’s Oct. 15 monthly meeting, Mountaineer was approved for $256,294 in upgrades and replacement work. The panel also approved canceling racing there next month. The minutes detail that Mountaineer’s purse money will run out before December, allowing the race days to be cut.

An internal study of how to approach race days for 2015 is underway, the Oct. 15 minutes said.

PITTSBURGH

The Meadows Racetrack & Casino, owned by Las Vegas-based Cannery Casino Resorts based in Washington, Pa., is a harness racetrack that operates an off-track betting site in New Castle, Pa. But that OTB is closing Nov. 30.

Kevin Decker, director of racing for The Meadows, said: “We have all witnessed how the region is currently suffering from a saturation of horse racing, gaming and other entertainment venues.”

That statement referred to the new racino in Ohio, Hollywood Gaming in Austintown.

The Meadows does not comment on stories related to the impact Hollywood Gaming has on its facility.

The Meadows has more than 3,200 slot machines and 81 table games as well as a high-limit slots area and a high-limit table games room.

Rivers Casino, opened in 2009 in Pittsburgh, has more than 2,900 slot machines, 83 table games, a 30-table poker room along with other features, such as nine restaurants and bars and a riverside amphitheater. The facility renovated its property last fall, with more than

$1 million of it in the casino. That included opening space for 24 slot machines on the gaming floor, rearranging table games to attract craps and blackjack tournaments and enlarging the Players Club.

Craig Clark, general manager of Rivers, said, “It’s too soon to tell what, if any, impact [Hollywood Gaming] will have on us.”

CLEVELAND

Down the road to the west, Cleveland has two racinos and a casino.

Rock Ohio Caesars, LLC, a joint venture between Caesars Entertainment Corp. and Rock Gaming LLC, operates Thistledown Racino in North Randall, a thoroughbred track just outside of Cleveland. It also operates the Horseshoe Cleveland casino downtown.

Rock Ohio also operates Horseshoe Cincinnati and both partners of the venture have equity in Turfway Park in northern Kentucky.

In Northfield is The Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park, owned by Hard Rock Cafe International Inc. It is a harness racetrack.

“We’ve seen some impact from Hard Rock,” said Shannon Mortland, spokesperson for the two Caesars’ facilities. She added that it “all depends on how close you are to your home.”

Thistledown considered a move to the Akron market earlier this year – but decided to stay put.

Rock Ohio has decided to renovate, pouring millions into upgrading the facilities.

Thistledown features about 1,150 VLTs on its 57,000 square-foot gaming floor. The facility expanded its outdoor patio gaming floor, named Slush, to 4,200-square-feet and added 97 machines to the original 32 VLTs on the patio. The expansion opened Oct. 3.

“In its first month, the expanded Slush patio has received great reviews from customers,” said Rick Skinner, general manager of Thistledown, in an email. “They really enjoy being able to play the [VLTs], have a beverage and watch live racing outdoors.”

The patio has been enclosed to protect players from cold winter weather.

Horseshoe Cincinnati also recently adopted an outdoor gaming patio, Mortland said. That was a $5.3 million project for a 8,800-square-foot patio, named The Parlor. It features 150 slot machines and electronic table games.

Similarly, Horseshoe Cleveland also made some changes. It opened Tag Bar and Lounge on its second floor Oct. 8; the $4 million bar features sports, craft beer and electronic table games. The bar covers 2,000 square feet and has 40 electronic table games, some of which are on the bartop. Mortland said about 200 slot machines were removed to make way for the new bar.