Hollywood Casino Completes Test Run

Posted on: 10:15 pm, January 30, 2012, by Gia Vang

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Kansas City’s newest casino is just days away from opening its doors. The Hollywood Casino near the Kansas Speedway will open its doors to the public Friday, but Monday, all the bells and whistles, and slots and wheels, are being tested in a dry run.

About 1,500 people got a invitation to come check out the vast casino floor.

“I got a free invite to check out the place when it’s done and doing some gambling and actually winning some money. It’s pretty fun,” said Greg Lynch, Kansas City, Kan. resident.

But it’s not all about fun. Casino managers say they are also proving to Kansas state regulators, that they are following the rules.

“We actually had three mock demo’s that we did last week that were internal practices that we did with family and friends to prepare us for these days,” said Dean Doria, the vice president of marketing for the Hollywood Casino.

Doria said anything from cameras being pointed correctly, to accounting procedures by the dealers, all internal controls must be in place before they can open to the public, to show them what this $411 million dollar investment in a first phase, is all about.

“It’s a wonderful thing to walk into a property that’s as beautiful as this everyday, every time I walk in I see something new which is really, really exciting,” said Doria.

Doria said whatever the casino wins, they will send to the state, which will then take the taxes. Then the casino will disperse the remaining money to two charities, The Sunflower House, Inc. and The Kansas City, Kan. School Foundation for Excellence.

The casino managers admit it will have an impact on the nearby casino’s in Missouri, but said a little competition wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Ameristar agrees. The casino said in a statement, it welcomes competition and believe it exposes more people to responsible gaming entertainment, which benefits all the casinos in the market. It goes on to say, it focuses every day on what it does best which is delivering the experience that guests have told it, they want.

But, the Missouri Gaming Commission estimated two years ago that a Kansas casino would drain about $85 million total of its Missouri neighbors in 2012.

The Hollywood Casino is having a grand opening on Friday at 11 a.m. The doors will open to the public after those festivities around 11:45 a.m.