$153M in March VLT Play Shatters Racino Record

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Wagers on video lottery terminals at Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course in Austintown during March thundered past the previous record, totaling more than $153.2 million.

VLT play at the Austintown racino last month was up 33.2% from nearly $115 million in February, and was more than $32 million above the nearly $119 million in wagers recorded in March 2019, according to the monthly report released Wednesday by the Oho Lottery Commission, which regulates Ohio racinos and casinos.

A representative of Penn National Gaming Inc., the Pennsylvania company that operates the racino, declined to comment on the results. The lottery commission did not respond to a request for comment by publication time for this story.

The boost in VLT wagers at the local racino reflected statewide increases in wagers on the machines, which totaled $1.3 billion in March. That was up 33.9% from the $975.8 million recorded in February.

Patrons took home $136.2 million in March, also the highest amount of winnings for a given month since the racino opened in September 2014.

Net win – the amount left after credits won and promotional play credits are deducted from credits played – totaled $15.3 million. Out of that, Penn National received $10.1 million and the lottery commission got $10.1 million.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.