Gaming. Racing. Dining. Entertainment. That’s the mantra touted by officials of Hoosier Park’s new racino, which was unveiled to the media Tuesday.
The racetrack and clubhouse, of course, have been there since 1994. The casino is brand new, set for a test run May 29 and a public opening June 2.
From the outside, the casino doesn’t appear to be anything too special. Just another nice building. But inside, it feels spacious, comfortable and classy. The rows and rows of slots, blackjack and roulette stations -- 2,000 electronic gaming machines in all -- gleam with newness, just begging to be tested.
One of the goals of Centaur, the group that owns the racino, is to integrate the new casino with the existing racetrack -- “seamlessly,” as Jim Brown, general manager of gaming at HP, puts it. Indeed, riding the escalator from the casino to the clubhouse that overlooks the racetrack, you feel as if you’re moving from place to place within a single facility rather than moving from one facility to another that happen to be on the same grounds.
Centaur’s unstated goal is to make a lot of money. The group ponied up $250 million for the license fee to open the casino. (The state used the money to defray property taxes.) With that sort of investment, there is always an expectation of huge return. Beyond making a lot of money for its investors, the Hoosier Park racino promises to help Madison County in many ways, such as:
• Providing more than 500 jobs that will generate an estimated $40 million annually during the first five years.
• Bringing thousands of visitors to the community monthly to spend money at other businesses.
• Creating $80 million annually in tax revenue for the state.
• Generating $8 million annually in tax revenue for local government, plus $1.6 million in property taxes.
• HP officials pledge to accelerate their support of local community service providers.
• Boosting the horse racing industry by pumping money into racing purses, thereby drawing better horses and encouraging investments by Indiana breeders and trainers.
• Adding not only live entertainment options, but local dining options. A deli, a hamburger joint, a bar, a buffet, a steakhouse, an Italian restaurant, a cafe and a lounge at the HP racino will add significantly to the local selection. The media got a taste of the fare Tuesday, and it was all first-rate.
The facility appears all but ready to go, with just the finishing touches remaining. That’s hard to believe, given that construction didn’t start until November. Hoosier Park was motivated to move quickly by its race with Shelbyville’s Indiana Downs to open the state’s first racino.
It looks like Hoosier Park will win that race. And the racino promises to bring Madison County along for a long and prosperous ride.
Opinion
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John P. Cleary
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