Nichols, N.Y. – October, 2016 – Employees at Tioga Downs gathered outside today to watch the first new slot machines as they were unloaded from the shipping trucks. Today, the property received the first 63 of the 946 games that will be delivered and installed in order to transform the video lottery facility into a commercial casino before the end of the year.
Among the games that arrived today are new versions of customer favorites as well as a variety of brand new games. Game manufacturers International Game Technology (IGT), Aristocrat, Everi and Konami were the first to ship games from their facilities in Nevada and New Jersey; and, additional shipments from Scientific Games and Ainsworth are also scheduled throughout October.
The New York State Gaming Commission voted unanimously August 30, 2016 to grant a commercial casino license to Tioga Downs. Since that date, staff members have been working toward opening the casino. According to Tioga Downs General Manager Scott Freeman, today marked a major milestone in the process.
“Receiving the license was the first milestone, but then there’s a lot of work to do getting our employees licensed, hiring additional staff, getting the vendors licensed and the games approved before we can open as a commercial casino,” Freeman said. “Seeing the first games roll in means we’re getting that much closer.”
The awarding of the state’s commercial license paved the way for the addition of table games at the racino, as well.
“If everything stays on schedule, we should see tables and equipment starting to arrive the beginning of November,” Freeman said.
This year marks the tenth anniversary celebration for Tioga Downs. The entertainment complex currently offers live harness racing, video lottery terminals, video poker and electronic table games. A variety of eateries are also part of the racino. Jeff Gural owns Tioga Downs in Nichols, NY and Vernon Downs in Vernon, NY. Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs have created more than 700 family-sustaining jobs and donated millions to nonprofit organizations. For more information on Tioga Downs, please visit www.tiogadowns.com.
