The same morning that The Meadows Racetrack & Casino begins trying to divert slots players away from Wheeling Island Racetrack & Gaming Center, the West Virginia competitor is starting its work to lure them back.Thousands of people are expected to fill The Meadows slot machine parlor when it has its ribbon-cutting as Western Pennsylvania's first racetrack casino at 8:30 a.m. today, then opens to the public at 9 a.m. The second of two invitation-only test days took place at the Washington County facility yesterday.
Wheeling Island, meanwhile, will start building a poker room on its ground floor today as a result of a referendum approved by Ohio County voters Saturday. Officials there hope to begin offering poker at 20 tables by Labor Day, and add another 42 tables upstairs for blackjack, craps and roulette by October.
The dual developments set in motion a long-term duel likely to take place between the two racetrack casinos, located an easy 40-minute drive from one another along Interstates 70 and 79.
Wheeling Island sought the legislation permitting it to add table games to help offset the potential loss of one-third or more of its slots players to Pennsylvania, said Wheeling Island spokeswoman Kim Florence.
"I think we'll see [the impact] relatively quickly," she said. "I think we'll get a good indication on Monday.
"With this additional table game product, we will be a complete casino, absolutely a destination resort," Ms. Florence stressed. "We will protect the current revenues we are bringing in."
Wheeling Island generates about $200 million in annual revenue with nearly 2,400 slot machines. The Meadows hopes eventually to match or surpass that revenue figure, although for now it has fewer machines -- 1,738 -- in a temporary casino to be replaced with a bigger, permanent structure in 2009.
Unlike The Meadows, Wheeling Island has its own hotel, a 151-room facility that Ms. Florence said could undergo expansion to double in size sometime after the table games are installed. That would be a $25 million project, she said.
First comes a $13 million investment in remodeling and equipment purchases associated with the table games, she said, then the training and hiring of 350 dealers and another 50 to 150 ancillary employees for additional security, administration and other purposes.
Classes for prospective dealers lasting anywhere from six to 12 weeks will begin June 25 at West Virginia Northern Community College. Wheeling Island will reimburse costs for its employees who take the training, Ms. Florence said. She said the dealers are expected to earn $35,000 in annual wages and tips.
She said the casino expects to keep the same number of slot machines, but could adjust that based on any drop off in play resulting from the new competition in North Strabane.
Officials at The Meadows, meanwhile, will closely watch what impact the table games have later this year on their own revenues. They have said they don't need table games to be successful but would welcome them if Pennsylvania permits them. They would want the state to reduce the tax rate from the 55 percent level set on slots, since table games are more costly to operate. West Virginia's tax rate on table games is 35 percent.
The Meadows carried out its second test period from 2 to 10 p.m. yesterday as a benefit for The Washington Hospital after raising an estimated $53,537 Friday for the Greater Washington County Food Bank. The Meadows is not able to retain any revenue for itself during the testing, which is held to evaluate operations of staff and equipment.
Mr. Hayes said The Meadows performed well with no serious issues. The most common issue Friday was with machines that failed to correctly accept patrons' player cards, which tally the volume of play for potential gifts provided by the casino.
Mr. Hayes said that was a customer service issue The Meadows would address, rather than a concern that would prompt state officials to prevent today's public debut.
Wheeling Island, meanwhile, will start building a poker room on its ground floor today as a result of a referendum approved by Ohio County voters Saturday. Officials there hope to begin offering poker at 20 tables by Labor Day, and add another 42 tables upstairs for blackjack, craps and roulette by October.
The dual developments set in motion a long-term duel likely to take place between the two racetrack casinos, located an easy 40-minute drive from one another along Interstates 70 and 79.
Wheeling Island sought the legislation permitting it to add table games to help offset the potential loss of one-third or more of its slots players to Pennsylvania, said Wheeling Island spokeswoman Kim Florence.
"I think we'll see [the impact] relatively quickly," she said. "I think we'll get a good indication on Monday.
"With this additional table game product, we will be a complete casino, absolutely a destination resort," Ms. Florence stressed. "We will protect the current revenues we are bringing in."
Wheeling Island generates about $200 million in annual revenue with nearly 2,400 slot machines. The Meadows hopes eventually to match or surpass that revenue figure, although for now it has fewer machines -- 1,738 -- in a temporary casino to be replaced with a bigger, permanent structure in 2009.
Unlike The Meadows, Wheeling Island has its own hotel, a 151-room facility that Ms. Florence said could undergo expansion to double in size sometime after the table games are installed. That would be a $25 million project, she said.
First comes a $13 million investment in remodeling and equipment purchases associated with the table games, she said, then the training and hiring of 350 dealers and another 50 to 150 ancillary employees for additional security, administration and other purposes.
Classes for prospective dealers lasting anywhere from six to 12 weeks will begin June 25 at West Virginia Northern Community College. Wheeling Island will reimburse costs for its employees who take the training, Ms. Florence said. She said the dealers are expected to earn $35,000 in annual wages and tips.
She said the casino expects to keep the same number of slot machines, but could adjust that based on any drop off in play resulting from the new competition in North Strabane.
Officials at The Meadows, meanwhile, will closely watch what impact the table games have later this year on their own revenues. They have said they don't need table games to be successful but would welcome them if Pennsylvania permits them. They would want the state to reduce the tax rate from the 55 percent level set on slots, since table games are more costly to operate. West Virginia's tax rate on table games is 35 percent.
The Meadows carried out its second test period from 2 to 10 p.m. yesterday as a benefit for The Washington Hospital after raising an estimated $53,537 Friday for the Greater Washington County Food Bank. The Meadows is not able to retain any revenue for itself during the testing, which is held to evaluate operations of staff and equipment.
Mr. Hayes said The Meadows performed well with no serious issues. The most common issue Friday was with machines that failed to correctly accept patrons' player cards, which tally the volume of play for potential gifts provided by the casino.
Mr. Hayes said that was a customer service issue The Meadows would address, rather than a concern that would prompt state officials to prevent today's public debut.
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