Tioga Downs
| Tioga Downs | |
|---|---|
| Location | Nichols, New York |
| Address | 2384 West River Road, Nichols, NY 13812 |
| Opening date | June 9, 2006 |
| Theme | County-Fair |
| No. of rooms | 0 |
| Total gaming space | 802 machines |
| Notable restaurants | Carousel Bar Coasters Sports Bar Subway County Fair Buffet |
| Casino type | Racino |
| Owner | Jeffrey Gural, CEO of American Racing and Entertainment, LLC; Scott Freeman, President and General Manager American Racing, Tom Murray Security Supervisor, Dave Miller, Director of Security, Graham Shanks F&B Supervisor, Katie Krapf Events Coordinator, Anita Wintermute EMT, |
| Architect | CGL Architects |
| Coordinates | 42°01′31″N 76°24′57″W / 42.025324°N 76.415749°W |
| Website | Tioga Downs Casino |
Tioga Downs is a county-fair-themed standardbred racetrack (5/8 mile) and racino located on a 138-acre (0.56 km2) site in Nichols, New York.
Tioga Downs originally was a quarterhorse track known as "Tioga Park" in 1976, closing down after its third season. James Nuckel, then owner, stated that, "the track had been losing thousands of dollars a day and was still in the red after three years of operation" (New York Times, 1978). Thereafter, a few private races and the occasional flea market were held at the location.
In 2000, Jeffrey Gural, a real-estate executive, horse owner, and racing enthusiast, began lobbying for state approval of Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) at racetracks. In 2005, they were approved. Shortly after Gural, with partnership from Nevada Gold and Casinos, bought the old Tioga Park for $32 million (New York Times, 2006; Press and Sun Bulletin, 2006). A ground-breaking ceremony was held July 22, 2005.
On June 9, 2006, Tioga Downs opened, offering harness racing, simulcast betting, and over 800 VLTs. Tioga Downs has two bars, a Subway(TM) restaurant, banquet room, coffee/bakery shop, and buffet. It also has a stage area, which hosts concerts. Artists that appeared at Tioga Downs have included Gretchen Wilson, Vanilla Ice, Tony Orlando, and Sister Sledge. During the warmer months, a trackside tent is available for wedding receptions, business meetings, parties, and awards' ceremonies. In 2011, The Tioga Downs Flea Market opened.
Tioga Downs has 802 VLTs, averaging ~92% payback. The racino offers player's club cards at three levels: classic, progressive and jackpot. Outside the gaming room Quick Draw(TM) and instant lottery tickets are available. Inside the racino, keno, video poker, and slot machines are available. The largest progressive offered is typically $250,000+ at a group of Hot Shot machines.
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