By Barrett Newkirk
ANDERSON — The Indiana Gaming Commission on Saturday gave Hoosier Park the final green light to open its casino as planned.
Following a mandatory audit held after a test run that brought thousands of people to the 92,000-square-foot casino floor on Thursday, state gaming officials approved the casino’s official opening for 9 a.m. Monday.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony and playing of the first official dollar in the casino will start at 8:30 a.m. Monday outside the casino’s entrance.
From that moment forward, Hoosier Park officials plan to keep the casino open 24 hour a day, 365 days a year, to let gamblers try their luck on any of the 2,000 slot machines, including linked progressive slots and multi-player electronic table games.
Hoosier Park is located east of Scatterfield Road between 53rd and 38th streets. Its expansion includes nine new restaurants and an estimated 550 new jobs. The new facility is expected to generate at least $8 million in annual local government revenue.
