PENN Entertainment announced its plans to hold a “groundbreaking ceremony” that will celebrate the start of the construction of a new hotel at Hollywood Casino Columbus. The ceremony is set to take place tomorrow, November 28.

Starting at 1 am ET, the ceremony will highlight PENN Entertainment’s excitement about the construction of the state-of-the-art property. The Columbus venue was originally opened in 2012 and has since been growing steadily. According to Jaw Snowden, PENN Entertainment’s president and chief executive officer, a hotel will turn Hollywood Casino Columbus into a “true regional destination.”

According to PENN Entertainment’s announcement, the hotel has an estimated budget of $100 million. The new facility will be added to the existing complex, improving the overall Hollywood Casino Columbus experience.

The completed building will feature a new restaurant, a meeting space and 180 rooms for guests. The hotel is expected to create approximately 100 new permanent jobs, adding an instant boost to the local economy.

PENN Is Proceeding with Four Growth Projects

PENN Entertainment’s new Columbus hotel is in line with the company’s growth strategy. The company is currently working on three other new growth projects in addition to the new Columbus hotel. These include new land-based casinos in Aurora and Joliet, Illinois, as well as an additional hotel tower in Henderson, Nevada.

The Aurora project will have $50 in funding from the local government. Gaming and Leisure Properties, on the other hand, has added a further $575 million toward PENN Entertainment’s four growth projects. The total funding of the projects, for reference, is $850 million.

Rick Skinner, PENN Entertainment’s vice president and general manager of Hollywood Casino Columbus commented on ceremony, expressing his company’s excitement about the opportunity to celebrate the occasion with its team, supporters and investors.

We can’t wait to begin hiring new team members and welcoming more visitors from around the region to showcase our new hotel and the excitement of Hollywood Casino Columbus.

Rick Skinner, VP and GM of Hollywood Casino Columbus, PENN Entertainment

Speaking of PENN, the company’s ESPN Bet app, which debuted earlier this month, just surpassed 1.1 million downloads.

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US casino giant Caesars Entertainment opened its temporary gaming facility in Columbus, Nebraska, on Monday morning, offering players in the state slot gambling and horse racing while continuing works on its permanent facility.

Offering Slot Entertainment

The temporary facility at Platte County Ag Society Park offers fans of slots more than 250 of the newest slot machine games, as well as wagering on horse racing via the Columbus Casino’s existing simulcast and is expected to keep players entertained until the permanent casino operating under Caesars’ popular brand, Harrah’s, becomes operational.

Speaking at the opening ceremony in the presence of Caesars’ leadership, Columbus Exposition and Racing board member, Tom Jackson, and Mayor of Columbus, Jim Bulkley, the senior vice president and general manager of Harrah’s Columbus, NE Racing & Casino, Don Ostert, hailed the opening as “a huge milestone” for everyone involved with the casino project.

“With the tremendous support from the community of Columbus, we’re proud to open our doors and welcome guests to the temporary facility for the first time,” Ostert said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony officially welcoming players to the facility.

The temporary facility was approved during the December 21, 2022, meeting of the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, alongside the beginning of construction work for the permanent casino that would be located off Highway 81 on the former Wishbones property.

The temporary facility was initially slated to open to the public in March but it was not until May when Caesars Entertainment and the company’s local investors finally received all regulatory approvals to open the venue in June.

Part of Caesars Rewards Loyalty Program

As part of Caesars’ expansive Caesars Rewards loyalty program, the temporary Columbus Casino is offering players to redeem their Reward Credits at any of Caesars’ more than 50 properties in North America, including the future Harrah’s Columbus, NE Racing & Casino.

Being built in partnership with Columbus Exposition and Racing, Harrah’s Columbus, NE Racing & Casino will feature the longest thoroughbred racetrack in Nebraska, a 28,000-square-foot casino with more than 500 slots and 14 table games, as well as a sportsbook, according to the visualizations Caesars presented earlier this year.

The Brew Brothers, a restaurant brand founded by the Carano family in 1995, and a bar named after a beloved event district in the city, Wishbones, will take care of food and dining options, while a next-door built and connected via a walkway to the casino Marriot Fairfield Inn and Townplace Suites will provide hospitality for the casino guests.

Construction works on Harrah’s Columbus, NE Racing & Casino are underway and the gaming facility is slated to greet its first customers in the first half of 2024.

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