COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The $400 million Hollywood Casino
Columbus opened Monday in Ohio’s capital, welcoming hundreds of people
who had waited on a chilly morning to be among the first placing bets at
the table games and about 3,000 slot machines.
It’s the third and
largest of Ohio’s four voter-approved casinos. It also is the one that
will have the most direct competition initially, as it sits about 10
miles from Scioto Downs, the first Ohio horse racing track to get
slots-like gambling machines.
Guests who lined up outside cheered
and clapped as they stepped into the 475,000-square-foot facility after
an invitation-only opening ceremony that included Mayor Michael Coleman,
Ohio State football great Archie Griffin, champion boxer James "Buster"
Douglas and actress Ann-Margret. Some people made a beeline to the
blackjack tables, while others stopped to pose with casino employees
dressed as showgirls in skimpy, sparkling outfits and feathered
headdresses.
Jerry Franklin, a self-employed Columbus resident,
grabbed a seat at a slot machine. He confessed he isn’t typically a big
gambler but said he’d taken the day off from his blacktop business to
celebrate turning 56.
"Hopefully I’ll have some luck," he said with a smile. "It being my
birthday, I figured I’d give it a shot."
In
a different row, Sandra Dowler yelped gleefully when three 7’s aligned
on her slot machine, earning her back some cash. The 70-year-old Dayton
retiree said she has visited Las Vegas previously and felt Penn National
Gaming Inc. had done a good job bringing the feel of that city to
central Ohio.
The casino, built on the site of a former auto parts
plant, is full of Art Deco architectural accents, modern light fixtures
and scores of televisions. It includes four restaurants and event
spaces and is expected to draw 3 visitors a year, providing some
competition for Scioto Downs.
"This is bigger. This is better,"
said Stephanie Severance, 28. The stay-at-home mother from Grove City
acknowledged the reason she might be biased: Her husband got one of the
2,000 jobs at the casino, working as a dealer.
Casino General
Manager Ameet Patel has said he’s not concerned about the competitive
environment and the proximity to Scioto Downs because he believes
there’s a deep market in the Columbus area.
With several more
so-called racinos in the works at other Ohio tracks, government and
industry officials likely will be watching to see how the Columbus
casino and track operations compare, said Jake Miklojcik, a Michigan
consultant who works on casinos and other topics.
Before the
casinos were approved by voters, the state estimated in 2009 that the
four would have total gross revenue of more than $1.4 billion annually
if the seven "racinos" became operational.
State officials don’t
feel they’ll have a solid basis to make updated revenue projections
until all four casinos have been open for a full year — which would be
spring of 2014, if the Cincinnati casino opens as planned early next
year, said Tama Davis, communications director for the state Casino
Control Commission.
By law, casinos pay a gross revenue tax of 33
percent, and that money is split between entities including counties,
school districts, the four casino cities, the casino commission and
programs for problem gamblers.
The Cleveland and Toledo casinos
that debuted earlier this year had more than $148.7 million in revenue
through August, not counting winnings paid to patrons. The revenue
totals for September are expected to be released Tuesday.
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Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.