“I don’t think it had the desired effect that we all thought it was going to have, about rejuvenating the West Side,' Gillis says. When he drives to the shiny-new casino, he still sees signs of struggle on West Broad street, like the deserted Westland Mall. Gillis says he has gambled here for about two years. While some improvements did happen on West Broad Street since then, many residents say they’re still waiting for more. When the Hollywood Casino opened on the West Side in October 2012, officials hoped it would bring new jobs and businesses to the depressed neighborhood. This fall marks the fifth anniversary of the birth of legal gambling in Columbus. 'I got about $600, so I did pretty well.'

“I had a couple of good hands last week,' Gillis says. The West Side resident visits the casino, in his words, “more than he should.” But the week before, it paid off.

The helpline number is 1-80.One Monday morning, the slot machines at the Hollywood Casino have already attracted a few gamblers to try their luck. If you find you have a problem with gambling or know someone who does, you can reach out for help. Once construction is finished, sports betting will move into the new Barstool Sportsbook where large-screen TVs, a restaurant, and a bar will help make you feel like a high roller. Zimny wouldn't share just how much the casino expects to profit from legalized sports betting. We definitely feel it's going increase foot traffic here,' Zimny said. 'It's a new amenity to add to our tool chest, the city's tool chest, the state of Ohio's tool chest as far as an entertainment option. The other venues are the Columbus Crew, Columbus Blue Jackets, Scioto Downs, and Muirfield Village. In Franklin county, the new Barstool Sportsbook is one of five venues able to take in-person bets and pay out winnings. They will be ready January first, special licensing process,' he said.Īll employees working with sports betting must be licensed. 'All of the employees who will be here, the team members who will be helping operate the sportsbook are going through training. You are free to navigate,' Zimny said.Īnd if navigating on your own is intimidating, Zimny said help will be on the floor. 'On January first we have an area near our existing poker room that we will have ticket writer stations where you can go up to a teller, make a wager and we will have almost 40 kiosks at the property, totally self-served. 1 there will be a temporary area where you will be able to place bets. It is currently set to open in February, but Zimny says that come Jan.

But Zimny says that come 2023, you can bet on your favorite sports team. The construction has been going on for several months and it's not finished yet.

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