Penn National Plays to Win at Austintown Racino
AUSTINTOWN, Ohio -- Around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Stephanie Enasko and Marilyn Workman sat on a bench outside the new Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course, the first ones -- although not the only ones for long -- waiting to enter the racino when its doors opened in a few hours.
“I’ve been to a lot of casinos” -- Mountaineer Casino in West Virginia about once a month, the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh and Cleveland’s Horseshoe -- “but I’ve never been to a grand opening, which I was really looking forward to,” said Enasko, of Warren.
Workman, who moved to Duncan, S.C. from the Mahoning Valley two years ago, says she goes to various casinos on bus trips, including Mountaineer, and she is thinking about moving back here for the summer months. “I’m sure I’ll be here as often as I can when I get back up here,” she said.
The two women might not have been at the head of the line, if other intended early birds had succeeded. Madeline Caldwell, spokeswoman for Penn National, confirmed that onsite security personnel turned away people who came to the site Tuesday night with tents intending to camp out, due to security and safety concerns.
By 9:20 Wednesday morning, the line that formed behind the two women had grown to about 60. The crowd was entertained by celebrity impersonators portraying actor Jack Nicholson, Gene Simmons of the rock band Kiss (in full “Demon” makeup) and Groucho Marx.
As they waited to enter, an actual celebrity joined the party -- former lightweight boxing champion Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini -- who posed for selfies with the people waiting in line.
The Youngstown native recalled his mother driving down state Route 46, the road along the Hollywood Gaming site, for softball tournaments in Niles. “There was nothing but woods out here,” he said. Later, when boxing in Reno and Las Vegas, he couldn’t imagine having something like Hollywood Gaming here.
“It’s tremendous. It’s tremendous for the area,” he remarked.
Mancini was among the guests invited to take part in the 10 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the $250 million racino’s opening.
“We think the customers are going to love the experience here and we’re also looking forward to early November when we open up live thoroughbred racing here at the track,” said Tim Wilmott, president and CEO of Wyomissing, Pa.-based Penn National Gaming Inc..
Inside the racino, Las Vegas-style showgirls wandered the floor and book-ended the lineup of speakers at the formal ribbon cutting.
Wilmott expressed his appreciation, echoed frequently by other speakers throughout the program, to the public officials, Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, Western Reserve Port Authority, project contractors, area labor organizations and building trades, and the 400 new employees there, 90% percent of whom were hired from northeastern Ohio, he said.
He took note of U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan’s early efforts to encourage Penn National, as it was campaigning to get land-based casinos approved in Ohio in 2009, to consider developing a project in his district.
“Waking up today was like Christmas. The alarm went off and I ran downstairs like I was going to open up some gifts,” said Rick Leonard, district director for Ryan, D-13 Ohio. He recalled driving Ryan to an early meeting with Penn National executives at Pittsburgh International Airport that lasted about three hours. Following the meeting, he said, Ryan told him, “We’ve got to help these guys.’”
Ryan and Leonard subsequently put Penn National in touch with Walt Good, then spearheading economic development at the Regional Chamber, who was among the spectators at Wednesday’s ceremony.
Good -- now senior director, regional business development, with Team NEO -- subsequently met with Penn National officials, who were leaning toward building the project between Youngstown and Akron. “Austintown was not on their radar at that point,” Good said. Discussing potential locations over coffee at the nearby Route 46 Starbucks, he suggested the adjacent Centerpointe Business Park.
“I always felt that the best use for that spot was some sort of destination attraction, and it happened,” Good said. “That is really cool.”
Other local officials Wilmott acknowledged included Austintown Township Trustee Jim Davis, whose “tireless” efforts included several trips to Columbus to support the project before the Ohio State Racing Commission, which balked at early designs Penn National had submitted over concerns regarding seating and facilities for horses.
“This has far exceeded my expectations,” Davis said. He characterized the opening as “the most exciting day” in the township’s history.
Others whose support the Penn National CEO cited included Davis’ former colleague on the Austintown board, Mahoning County Commissioner David Ditzler, a “trusted friend and adviser” through the process who “helped move heaven and earth to make to make this happen.”
He also praised the design team, general contractor Turner Construction, subcontractors and building trades for delivering the project on time, on budget and “right on target” to what Penn National.
Penn National’s Wilmott is optimistic about the racino’s odds for success. While employed 25 years ago by another company, he ran an operation to bring gamblers to Atlantic City. As he recalled, flights from Youngstown were always well booked. Asking why those flights always got strong response, he was told “those people like to have fun.”
Waiting outside for the opening, Enasko said she would come to the new venue “quite often” as opposed to traveling as much to other gaming destinations. “It’s closer to home,” she said.
James Potts of Boardman, who also visits venues such as the Rivers and Mountaineer, said he enjoys traveling but expects he’ll come to Austintown two or three times a month. “I hope it does good,” he said.
Evanna Neapolitan Nagy, who has visited Las Vegas as well as casinos in the region, said she doesn’t expect to stop going to other destinations but will patronize Hollywood Gaming. “If you’re going to spend your money, you might as well spend it here,” she said. She won’t “totally avoid” other destinations “because it’s nice to travel but I’ll definitely be coming here more often.”
Penn National did not release opening day figures for attendance or gaming revenues, but Hollywood Gaming was at “very high capacity,” Penn National’s Caldwell noted. At one point, all but one of the 850 machines was filled “and the only empty machine was locked up due to a jackpot.”
Pictured: Gamblers await the opening of Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course.
Copyright 2014 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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