Racino Posts Second-Best Month for VLT Play
AUSTINTOWN, Ohio – Following three consecutive months of declines, wagers on video lottery terminals at Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course rebounded in December to post the second-best month since the Austintown racino opened.
On Monday, the racino also brought on a new general manager, Allie Evangelista, who succeeds Tony Frabbiele.
Last month, VLT play at Mahoning Valley hit $105.32 million, second only to the $109.74 million total in March 2018, according to the monthly report released Monday by the Ohio Lottery Commission.
December’s VLT total was up nearly $14 million from the $91.55 million reported in November and $15.29 million from December 2017’s $90.03 million.
Last month, 1,100 VLTs on average per day were in operation, compared with 1,035 a year earlier.
Players took home $93.92 million in credits last month, compared with $79.56 million a year earlier. Net win in December – credits played minus both credits won and promotional play credits – was $10.07 million, up from $9.26 million in December 2018.
Penn National Gaming Inc., which opened the racino in 2014, received $6.13 million as its commission for operation. The lottery commission’s take was $3.10 million.
“We’re pleased with the ongoing success of Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course and I know our new general manager, Allie Evangelista, is pleased to be inheriting a terrific team there and is eager to get underway,” said Eric Schippers, Penn National senior vice president of public affairs and government relations, in an email Monday afternoon.
Evangelista came to the Austintown racino from Meadows Casino southwest of Pittsburgh, another Penn National site, where she served as general manager for the past two years.
“I look forward to continuing the work that the property and Tony have completed to date as we carry on our efforts to provide excellent service to our guests,” she said in the news release announcing her hiring.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
