The ownership of Kansas Speedway is gambling on a new casino overlooking Turn 2 to generate interest, drive ticket sales and increase revenue during a sluggish time for motorsports.
The Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway officially opened Friday.
Long lines of cars snaked out of the parking lots and along the roads running parallel to the backstretch of the track. The $411 million casino is a partnership between Penn National Gaming and International Speedway Corp., which owns and operates the speedway.
The casino has about 1,000 full-time employees, 95,000 square feet of gaming, and is expected to attract 4 million guests annually with an estimated economic impact of $200 million a year.
It also should boost interest in the two race weekends at Kansas Speedway, the first in April and the second in October.
