Penn National to move Austintown racino’s general manager

Staff report

AUSTINTOWN

Penn National Gaming Inc. will move the general manager of Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course to Mississippi on May 1.

Mike Galle, who has been general manager of the local racino since it opened in September 2014, will relocate to Mississippi to oversee two of Penn’s properties there – Hollywood Casino Gulf Coast in Bay St. Louis and Boomtown Casino Biloxi in Biloxi, a Penn National spokesman said Thursday.

“Since I have been here, the community has really been great to me and my family,” Galle said. “I can tell you I am really happy with [the racino’s] results.

Galle said he was happy with how employees at the local racino assimilated to the gaming industry. Since 2014, the Austintown racino has had more than 100 promotions.

“I am going to miss them,” he said. “I know Penn is committed to finding a replacement that is as community minded as I am.”

Rafael Verde, general manager at Penn’s Hollywood Casino Toledo, will oversee the Austintown racino temporarily until a new manager is named.

Galle joined Penn National in 2005 when the company acquired Argosy Gaming. In 2011, Galle was named assistant general manager of Hollywood Casino Toledo, which opened in May 2012.

He was named general manager of Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course in 2014, also before its opening.

“We are very sad to see him go, but we wish him much success in his future with Penn National,” said Jim Davis, Austintown Township trustee.

The racino opened in September 2014 with 850 video-lottery terminals, or slot machines, and a one-mile thoroughbred racetrack.

Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley has added nearly 200 gaming devices through a previous gaming-floor expansion in 2015, as well as a smoking-patio expansion in 2016, which added 73 slot machines.

The racino is in the process of installing 50 new slot machines to bring the total number to 1,030. The expansion will be finished in June.