Near-complete racino set to open Sept. 17 in Austintown

By KALEA HALL

and ROBERT CONNELLY

news@vindy.com

AUSTINTOWN

Hollywood Gaming - Got Game

Video

Enthusiasm for the racino has been building in the Valley since Penn National Inc. officials announced in 2012 they would invest $250 million to build the gaming facility and thoroughbred racetrack off state Route 46. The official address will be 777 Hollywood Drive, and employ over 350 people

New restaurant workers at Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course kept their hands steady on their practicing trays and kept a smile on their faces while learning the ins and outs of their new workplace.

Their game is on.

Enthusiasm for the racino has been building in the Valley since Penn National Inc. officials announced in 2012 they would invest $250 million to build the gaming facility and thoroughbred racetrack off state Route 46.

The official address will be 777 Hollywood Drive.

Just one week before opening the doors of the racino at noon next Wednesday, reporters and photographers were invited inside the almost-finished 100,000-square-foot location.

People “are looking for another form of entertainment,” said Mike Galle, general manager of the Austintown racino. “We definitely have a lot of entertainment options here from food to simulcast racing, the [850] VLTs, or just coming down and staying at the bar in our H Lounge area and enjoying the local bands that will be playing down there.”

The “old Hollywood” feel of the racino has come together since the ground-breaking ceremony took place in May 2013.

Over the course of the past year, the Valley watched the once-bare site become bustling with about 1,500 construction jobs.

Now the action is visible on the inside of the racino. In less than a week, an expected 5,000 guests a day will enter through the doors.

Plastic wrap covered parts of the floor and seating areas while workers tested and assembled VLT’s, mounted televisions and perfected the landscaping on Wednesday.

“A lot of things you see are last-minute work,” Galle said. “[We will] probably set up completely over the weekend.”

A traffic light now sits at the main entrance on Route 46 with Silica Road directly across from 777 Hollywood Drive. Work is ongoing on the entrance to the racino and could be complete as early as today.

Six dining outlets inside the racino appear ready to be filled with patrons.

The food court on the gaming floor has price ranges from $10 to $15 to a meal for those 21 and older. The more upscale Skybox Sports Bar is open to families with entree options at $20 to $25 — for items such as steak or seafood.

“You can bring your kids to watch the horses,” Galle said. “This is our sports bar, but it’s a sports bar on steroids ... We are very proud of this.”

Unlike Las Vegas, no free alcoholic drinks will be offered on the gaming floor because of Ohio state law, Galle said. Customers will be offered free water and soft drinks.

Outside, progress on the one-mile thoroughbred racetrack continued on Wednesday.

Live racing begins Nov. 24 and will take place on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday each week until April.

Racing dates have yet to be set for 2015, but a 10-year deal struck with the Ohio Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association calls for the horse stalls to be filled 80 percent by people who have consistently raced in Ohio over the years.

There will be 988 horse stalls in 13 barns. The deal with the OHBPA is for 25 weeks of racing at Austintown and Thistledown Racino in Cleveland, with two one-week breaks between their seasons.

The track will feature a top layer of sand from a local quarry, the same material used at Mountaineer Casino and Racetrack Resort.

Mark Munroe, a member of the Ohio Racing Commission and leader of the Mahoning County Republican Party, presented Galle with the permit for racing at the beginning of the media tour.

“The racing commission is very excited for this,” Munroe said. “We’re looking forward to racing beginning on Nov. 24. The facility is terrific. You’ve done a great job and we can’t wait for racing to begin.”

Valley residents have the opportunity to sign up early for the Marquee Rewards player card 12 to 6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, and 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the lower level of the facility, 655 N. Canfield-Niles Road or 777 Hollywood Drive. Marquee Rewards is a free benefit card that allows players to receive benefits and rewards for playing at Hollywood Gaming and other Penn National sites. Receiving a card doesn’t mean that guests can receive early access to the racino.