Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway facts for kids

Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway is a special place called a racino in Dayton, Ohio. A racino is a fun mix of a racetrack and a casino. This location is owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties. It is operated by a company called Penn National Gaming.

This racino first started in 1959. Back then, it was known as Raceway Park and was located in Toledo, Ohio. It used to host exciting car races and horse races.

Horse Racing at Dayton Raceway

Standardbred horses race at Raceway Park in Toledo, Ohio.

A pacer horse gets ready for a race at Raceway Park.

Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway is well-known for its live harness racing. Harness racing is a type of horse racing where horses pull a driver in a two-wheeled cart called a sulky. The horses used in these races are called Standardbreds.

Some of the important races held here include the Ohio Sire Stakes. Another famous race was the Buckeye-Wolverine Pace. This race used to happen every year. It was known for predicting the winner of the Ohio State-Michigan football game. It was right about 75% of the time!

Why the Raceway Moved to Dayton

In 2011, the Governor of Ohio, John Kasich, made a new rule. This rule allowed special gaming machines called video lottery terminals at Ohio's seven racetracks. These machines are like slot machines.

Penn National Gaming, the company that runs the raceway, also owned another casino. This casino was called Hollywood Casino Toledo. To make sure the two places did not compete with each other, Penn National decided to move Raceway Park. They got permission from the state to move it to Dayton.

The move of the racetrack was finished in the spring of 2014. The new racino in Dayton officially opened its doors on August 28, 2014. When it opened, it had 1,000 video lottery terminals for people to enjoy.