DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway has added a new restaurant and bar to their facilities, just in time to place wagers for college basketball.
The Barstool Sportsbook seats 130 guests. There are several large-screen televisions and a full-service bar. Above that bar is a jumbotron, a 34-foot-wide viewing screen.
On Friday, a ribbon cutting and soft launch was held to work out the final touches of these new additions before officially opening this weekend.
“It was always supposed to be added on,” Jennifer Woffindale, Hollywood Gaming Director of Marketing, said. “Sportsbook went live January 1, and then because of construction we were just a little bit delayed. So, we got to open before March Madness.”
Woffindale said that since Ohio has allowed sports betting, Hollywood Gaming has seen great feedback and an abundance of new customers.
“We’ve got new members showing up every day, signing up for a card, and business has been good,” she said. “It’s attracting a new guest to our establishment, and then on top of it, we get to add to the experience by now giving them some food and beverage. With the watch and wager.”
Last week, the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio reported a significant spike in the number of calls to the Ohio gambling hotline, reporting that in January of this year, they received more than 1,500 calls in comparison to just 600 in December 2022.
While gambling has its risks, the Sportsbook Manager at Hollywood Gaming, Dave Schleter, said he wans to see people have good, responsible fun with the new additions to their gaming options.
“Responsible but fun, right? It’s just another option we have,” Schleter said.
“We have great casino score. We have the VLT, the slot machines. We now have we have horse racing as well, which has been really good for us, and now we have a sportsbook for sports betting. This is a first-class dining facility and so it just melds very well, and it just really brings everything together.”
