Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino is reducing to expand. Magna Entertainment, owner of the Hallandale Beach, Florida, thoroughbred racetrack and slot casino, last month announced it will reduce its number of slots from 1,200 to 516 to make room for different games and a different look to the operation. It is the start of a plan to reconfigure the racino's various levels and completely revamp the game mix, in an effort to reverse the facility's position from last among the three Broward County parimutuel slot operations.

The slots are being removed from the first floor of the casino area to accommodate the addition of a racing lounge. The first floor will ultimately be split between slots and new facilities to accommodate the core customers of what has been one of the most successful horse tracks in the nation. The state-of-the-art simulcast lounge will be accompanied by three casual restaurant offerings.

Rounding out the first floor will be new games. The game mix will be changed to maximize the potential of the South Florida market—in particular the Class III games that the Seminole tribe, the main competition to the tracks, will likely not add before protracted court battles over its controversial gaming compact with Governor Charlie Crist.

According to Steve Calabro, the longtime Trump marketing executive who was brought on by Magna mainly to turn Gulfstream's fortunes around, on the slot side, the game mix will be revamped to correct what he says was a glaring hole-not enough of penny and two-cent denomination, multi-line video slots.

In addition to adding hundreds of penny and two cent games, the racino is adding 170 video poker machines-all with top-returning pay schedules, something the Seminoles can't match while limited to Class II. Calabro says good video poker should give Gulfstream an added boost through the winter, as snowbirds from the Northeast who are video poker devotees visit South Florida.

“Our casino component will absolutely have the best video poker offering in South Florida, hands down,” Calabro told Global Gaming Business magazine. “We're going to bring in all the Action games-Triple Play, Five Play, 50 Play, 100 Play-in addition to all the traditional poker games. We will have Spin Poker. We'll have Super Times Poker, which is the hottest video poker game in the country right now.

“Not only will the selection be the best, but the pay schedules will be what serious video poker players look for. If you play video poker in the Northeast, even if you play in Vegas, you'll want to play in South Florida at Gulfstream.”

When all the changes are made, the game count, at least for now, will be 825 slot and video poker machines spread across two floors.

By Casino Connection Staff

Please login to post your comments.