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Hollywood Gaming's expansion to be complete by Wednesday
By ROBERT CONNELLY
AUSTINTOWN
New machines are available at Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course, coming online in recent weeks.
The last of those machines, an expansion of the gaming floor, is expected to come online Wednesday.
“The area has been open,” said Mike Galle, general manager at Hollywood Gaming.
The last bank, or section of eight video-lottery terminals, is the last step set to be completed Wednesday. As machines have arrived and then been tested, they have been made available to gaming patrons.
“While we open up the games, they are being played,” Galle said. “We’re off to a decent start as far as the new games and the new area is concerned.”
The racino had part of a temporary wall taken down to install the new 75 machines. That brings the facility’s total number of VLTs to 941, as its monthly total has been 866 in financial reports to the Ohio Lottery Commission.
Lehman Daman Construction Services of Columbus was the construction manager on the $975,000 project that opened up 2,200 square feet for the gaming floor. That has happened in the southeast corner of the Austintown facility, near the H Lounge and closer to the racing grandstands. The temporary wall is built around the side entrance.
Lehman has done work at other Penn National Gaming Inc.-owned facilities in Ohio.
The majority of machines added to the floor were penny machines, Galle said. The decision on the denomination of the added machines was based on how much existing machines on the gaming floor had been played.
In other racino news, Ashley Facility Realty LLC, which operates Briarfield at Ashley Circle, a facility offering nursing and skilled rehabilitation services at 5291 Ashley Circle, which is adjacent to the racino, appealed a court decision Thursday.
Mahoning County Common Pleas Magistrate Thomas M. Gacse had affirmed the Austintown Township Zoning Board of Appeals’ decision to allow Hollywood Gaming to offer outdoor summer concerts. Ashley Circle filed its notice to appeal at the 7th District appeals court Thursday.
The facility had argued that outdoor concert noise would disrupt the nursing-home environment. Meanwhile, Penn National officials had said asked for permission for the possibility of offering music events in the future.