MEADOW LANDS, Pa. -- Gamblers are playing the slot machines at the Pittsburgh area's first casino, which opened on Monday morning in Washington County.

By 7 a.m., a line of eager visitors had already formed outside the Meadows Racetrack and Casino, in anticipation of the scheduled 8:30 a.m. opening.

According to Meadows officials, in the first 12 hours of operation, an estimated 10,000 people visited the casino.

Invited guests gambled at the casino in a pair of test runs on Friday and Sunday, so state gaming regulators could make sure the machines and other aspects of the operation were working properly.

Officials said the two test days for the casino set a state record with over $3 million in wagers.

About $122,000 from the test sessions will be donated to the Greater Washington County Food Bank and The Washington Hospital, according to the state Gaming Control Board.

The casino is a temporary facility. Construction of a permanent 350,000-square-foot, two-story structure with 3,000 slot machines is expected to be completed in early 2009.

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