Presque Isle Activating Slot Machines

Presque Isle Downs has announced that they are planning on offering 25 nights of Thoroughbred Racing for its inaugural season. The slot machine casino is planning on opening in September of next year, and they plan on having their slot machines up and running by next winter. The track is owed by the MTR Gaming Group who plans on adding the slot machines. The group thinks that the slot machine revenue for the purses will have months to accrue.

They think the slot machine revenue will be enough so that they can offer purses of roughly $200,000 a night, six nights a week. Construction on the grandstand/clubhouse that will hold the slot machines when finished is almost done.

The Horsemen at Presque Isle will be represented by the Pennsylvania Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. They are currently in discussions with the slot machine casino on a live-racing agreement. The horsemen’s group thinks they are very close to coming to an agreement with the slot machine casino with additions such as “splash days” and a synthetic surface installation.

The way the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Development and Gaming Act has been set up - purses and breed development get 12% of gross slot machine revenue, plus up to another 6% from soon-to-be-built non-track slot machine casinos. No one knows how much revenue the track will bring in between the opening of racing and the opening of the slot machines, so the first year’s purses could be significantly smaller than other years.  
 

Back to December Archive or Slot Machines