MEADOW LANDS, Pa. -- A permanent casino at the Meadows racetrack isn't scheduled to open until April, but the temporary facility is already exceeding expectations.

One year since the slot machine casino opened, it has confirmed $2 billion in payouts. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said the Meadows led Pennsylvania's other casinos in taxable winning earnings per slot machine in May.

Last month, the Meadows gave away $2.5 million in what's called "free money" to registered frequent players.

General manager Mike Graninger said the Meadows' marketing has been a success, and he hopes the state Legislature will legalize table games.

"I think the most important thing for Pennsylvania is, it's $28 million a year in payroll," he said. "You know, you grow not through taxes but through jobs. So, it would be about 700 jobs."

As the Meadows builds its permanent casino, the current amount of slots is being doubled to 3,900 and space is being left for table games.

---

Related Links:
More Washington County News

Get RSS Headlines | Free Desktop Alert

---