Harrah's Philadelphia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Harrah's Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack |
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Front entrance of Harrah's Philadelphia
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Harrah's Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack in Pennsylvania
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| Location | Chester, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Address | 777 Harrah's Blvd |
| Opening date | January 22, 2007 |
| Theme | Racetrack River Carnival |
| Total gaming space | 106,100 sq ft (9,860 m2) |
| Casino type | Racino |
| Owner | Vici Properties |
| Operating license holder | Caesars Entertainment |
| Architect | SOSH Architects |
| Previous names | Chester Downs (while in planning) Harrah's Chester (2007-2012) |
| Coordinates | 39°51′00″N 75°20′51″W / 39.849873°N 75.347618°W |
| Website | HarrahsPhilly.com |
Harrah's Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack is a special place in Chester, Pennsylvania. It has both a harness racing track and a casino. This type of place is sometimes called a "racino." It sits right on the waterfront of Chester.
The company Vici Properties owns the buildings and land. Another company, Caesars Entertainment, runs the daily operations.
Contents
A Look Back: Harrah's History
Building the Track
The Harrah's Philadelphia track was built where an old shipbuilding company used to be. The first season for harness racing started on September 10, 2006.
Opening the Casino
Later in 2006, Harrah's got permission to have slot machines. The casino officially opened its doors on January 22, 2007. A few years later, on July 18, 2010, they added live table games for visitors.
A New Name
In May 2012, the name changed from Harrah's Chester to Harrah's Philadelphia. This change was made to attract more people from the wider Philadelphia area.
Ownership Changes
In 2018, Vici Properties bought the land and buildings from Caesars for $242 million. Caesars then rented the property back from Vici Properties to keep running the casino and racetrack.
Sports Betting Arrives
On January 22, 2019, Harrah's Philadelphia started offering sports betting. This means people could place bets on different sports games. The official opening for sports betting was two days later, on January 24, 2019.
The area for sports betting is called Caesars Sportsbook. It has a big board showing the odds, several windows to place bets, and self-service machines. There are also many big-screen TVs and comfortable seats for watching games. You can bet on sports like football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and soccer.
What Can You Do at Harrah's?
Harrah's Philadelphia has lots of things to see and do. There are over 2,000 slot machines and a large area for other games. It also has a big event center, places to eat, and shops.
Places to Eat
You can find several restaurants at Harrah's Philadelphia:
- Market Express
- Mien
- Philly Tap and Tavern
- The Market
Shopping Fun
If you want to buy a souvenir, there's a Gift Shop available.
All About Harness Racing
Race Schedule
Harrah's Philadelphia hosts live harness racing for about 150 days each year. This usually happens from early April to mid-December. Races are often held on Sundays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Sometimes, there are races on holidays that fall on Saturdays or Mondays. Races usually start at 12:25 PM.
You can also watch and bet on races from other tracks across the United States and Canada. This is called "simulcast" wagering.
The Track Itself
The racetrack is about 5/8 of a mile long. It has a special surface made of limestone. A cool part of the track is a bridge that goes over the Delaware River. When horses race over this bridge, you can see large freight ships passing by below! Even though the track has lights, it hasn't had regular night races since 2011.
Horse Stables
The area where the horses get ready for races, called the paddock, can hold up to 131 horses. Because there isn't much space to keep horses permanently, they are brought in for race days and then leave afterward.
Race Announcers
The exciting voices you hear during the races belong to the track announcers.
- From 2007 to 2013, James Witherite was the announcer.
- Since 2014, Michael Bozich has been the voice of the races.
See Also
- List of casinos in Pennsylvania
- List of casinos in the United States
