| Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races | |
|---|---|
| Charles Town Races track and grandstand | |
| Location | Jefferson County, West Virginia, USA |
| Address | 750 Hollywood Drive, Charles Town, WV 25414 |
| Opening date | December 3, 1933 |
| Theme | Silver Screen Slots, OK Corral Slots, Slot City, Slot Central and Hollywood Slots |
| No. of rooms | 150 |
| Signature attractions | casino, hotel ,dining, gaming, horseracing |
| Notable restaurants | Skyline Terrace, Zen Noodle, Epic Buffet, |
| Casino type | racetrack |
| Owner | Penn National Gaming |
| Previous names | Jefferson County Races, Charles Town Races & Slots |
| Website | hollywoodcasinocharlestown.com |
Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races is a gambling facility owned by Penn National Gaming and located just outside the eastern city limits of Charles Town, West Virginia. It features a six furlong thoroughbred horse racing facility that is home of the West Virginia Breeders' Classic. It also contains over 5,000 slot machines, which help to generate 1,400 jobs for the surrounding community. As of July 2010, they now have table games.
The Charles Town Race Track was opened on December 2, 1933 by the Shenandoah Valley Jockey Club. [1] It has changed owners over the years and in 1997 was purchased by Penn National. [2]
In 2008, the track inaugurated The Sprint Festival, four open stakes worth a total of $500,000. These are the 4½ furlong $200,000 Charles Town Invitational Dash for colts and geldings three-years-old and up, the $100,000 Lady Charles Town for 3-year-old fillies at 4½ furlongs, the $100,000 West Virginia Sprint Derby for 3-year-olds at 4½ furlongs, and the $100,000 Red Legend Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs.
In 2009, it inaugurated the Charles Town Classic for older horses running a distance of one and 1/8 mile. The purse was "tiered" and was determined by the graded status of the winner. The purse's range was from between $500,000 and $1,000,000. In 2010, the purse was increased to $1,000,000, regardless of the winner's prior race record, making it one of the biggest races of the year in the USA.
Also on the property is a 150-room hotel, The Inn at Charles Town, and several dining facilities, including a food court, track side restaurant, and the Skyline Terrace. On June 9, 2007 local voters defeated a referendum to permit expansion of the facility to include dice and card "table games".
On December 5, 2009, a second referendum was held on table games and this time voters approved the referendum to allow table games at the venue. As of July 2, 2010, the facility, for years known as "Charles Town Races & Slots," was renamed "Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races." It now features a 1930s Art Deco and classic Hollywood theme, as well as various table games like blackjack and roulette and a 30-table poker room.