Harrah's Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack | |
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Front entrance of Harrah's Philadelphia
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Location | Chester, Pennsylvania |
Address | 777 Harrah's Blvd |
Opening date | January 22, 2007 |
Theme | Racetrack River Carnival |
Total gaming space | 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2) |
Casino type | Racino |
Owner |
Chester Downs & Marina, LLC Division of Caesars Entertainment Corporation |
Architect | SOSH Architects |
Previous names | Chester Downs (while in planning) Harrah's Chester (2007-2012) |
Coordinates | 39°51′00″N 75°20′51″W / 39.849873°N 75.347618°WCoordinates: 39°51′00″N 75°20′51″W / 39.849873°N 75.347618°W |
Website | HarrahsPhilly.com |
Harrah's Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack is a racino on the Chester, Pennsylvania waterfront.
The track's first harness racing season opened on September 10, 2006. Wagering on live horse races is currently available on-track from April to December on Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The racing broadcast is also available for wagering via simulcast from other racetracks throughout the United States and Canada. The 5⁄8 mile (1.0 km) racetrack has a limestone-based surface. The midpoint of 1-mile (1.6 km) races comes on a bridge that hangs over the Delaware River and provides a view of freight ships passing by. The racing paddock at Harrah's holds up to 131 horses. Because of limited space, horses are shipped in to the paddock rather than stabled on-track.
The casino consists of 2,900 slot machines, 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2) of gaming space, and a 14,000-square-foot (1,300 m2) event center. It began offering live table games on July 18, 2010.
On September 27, 2006, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board gave Harrah's Chester its slots license. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved Harrah's application for the permanent slot-machine gaming operator license on December 20, 2006. The racino opened on January 22, 2007, one day earlier than anticipated. Catania Engineering Associates performed the site design for this project.
In May 2012, Harrah's Chester changed its name to Harrah's Philadelphia to appeal to a broader market.
Harrah's Philadelphia currently runs a 150 day live meet that runs from early April to mid-December. Race days are typically operated on Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, as well as occasional holidays that fall on Saturday and Monday. Racing at Harrah's is usually scheduled to begin at 12:40PM. The track is 5⁄8 mile (1.0 km) in length and has a limestone-based surface. Although the track is equipped with lights, it has not operated a schedule with regular night racing since 2011.