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[MM1]

A friend of mine was invited to the casino last Friday night for a preview prior to its opening this week.   She's a huge Detroit casino player and she said it is really beautiful.   The only thing she found odd was it sits in a residential area. 

I google mapped the address and it is right across the street from apartment buildings. 

Yikes.  I sure hope those people don't have gambling issues . . . . . (right across the street?)
 

I'm not much of a casino gambler, but I do miss the Pinnacle Race Track in Romulus (more for the horses than the gambling).  But I think seeing the new casino and checking out the restaurants is of interest to me.

Anyone here going to become a "Player" there?   

[Aunt Lisa]

 Not yet but I hope to be soon I've never been to a casino or horse races but this yr I'm making my husband take me to both. I'm so excited about it. Where are the horse race at again?

[T-M-T]

I checked it out this morning.  I like the fact that it’s clean, new and smoke-free. 

I didn’t notice what was around it.  You basically exit the freeway and you’re there.

I can’t say it’s much different from other casinos. Easy to park and walk in.  Lots of movie-themed pictures and posters around.  They seem to have all of the newest machines.  Some of them made incredible amounts of noise (while not paying out so much money.) 

We got there around 8:30 a.m. and the place was pretty empty.  By the time we left about 11:15, there were more people, but still nowhere near crowded.  I talked to a couple people who had driven from the Flint area just to come down and check it out.  They liked the fact that it was smoke-free and they didn’t have to cross into Canada to get there.  Seemed like mostly older people in there, but it was probably the time of day.

Their comp system is pretty stingy.  I played $1 and $5 machines for almost three hours and earned $6 in comps.  A few others commented on the same thing while we were there.  Even one of the restaurant workers commented that you had to spend "a couple thousand dollars to earn about $5 in comps."

Bottom line is it’s a casino.  It’s closer to Monroe than any other and smoke-free, so if those things are important to you, you’ll probably like it.

[Billy]

Probably won't go I like to smoke and drink while I gamble. If your gonna sin go all in.

[MM1]

Not yet but I hope to be soon I've never been to a casino or horse races but this yr I'm making my husband take me to both. I'm so excited about it. Where are the horse race at again?

Sorry to say Pinnacle Racetrack is closed.  (boo-hoo  )  It was a thoroughbred race track (which is my favorite) on Sibley in Romulus.  (South side of the Airport)    I'm not sure where the next nearest is.  In fact, I don't think there's another thoroughbred track in Michigan.   But, if I find one I'll let you know!   

I don't think they run the harness races at Toledo any longer.  We haven't been there in 5yrs or so.  I think it's all gambling via telecast from other tracks now.  It was a very old faciility and I didn't like it much there anyway.  But, the thrill of a horse you've bet on coming in is always fun. 


For us, smoke-free aspect is a very important and major draw.  Yay!


Other than being clean and new, I'm not expecting anything unique.  A casino IS just a casino.  That's why I can only take Vegas for 2 - 3 days (max), then done. 

But, Hollywood is something new, and we'll be checking it out soon.   I'm also curious to see what music entertainment they get in there.  Nothing specific on their website as yet.   

[Forsythia]

Why would I give my money to Buckeyes just because it's closer?  Never going there for that reason alone.

[T-M-T]

They still have live racing at Raceway Park on Saturdays and Sundays (according to the website, anyway).
 
Before anyone thinks of going, I warn you that it is a beaten down, depressing place.  Raceway Park was once a fun, lively place to spend an evening.  Not any more.  I hadn’t been there in over ten years and decided to visit on a whim when I was down there once last year.  It’s like the living dead, with only a few hardened gamblers and people from the horse industry around.  The facilities have not been improved upon in decades.  The only reason they kept it open for the past several years was in the (now dead) hope that the laws would change and they could add slot machines.  I thought I had heard that the license was purchased by a group that was going to move it to Columbus or some other place in Ohio, but it is still open, for now.  They need to just put the place out of its misery. 

[Billy]

Last time I was in there, the whole place smelled of urine. And not of the horse variety either.

[Aunt Lisa]

 Ewww, ok horse racing is going to have to wait then. I'm not looking just to gamble, I'll probably bring $100 to lose on that  But I want to have a drink and watch a band in the H Lounge then eat dinner at the steak/seafood place. I smoke but I prefer to go outside anyhow, so no problem there.
 It's been a very busy month for both me and my spouse. We didn't get to celebrate our 19yr anniversary, well for that matter we haven't got to celebrate it much since our son was born on our 3 yr anniversary. So, it's been 16yrs of kids parties  Time for us to live it up for once

[Professor H]

Haven't been yet - but will check out the table games (Craps) to see the limits.   

Apparently $5 minimum table games only exist in Vegas and Niagara Falls...

Don't know who keeps supporting some of the table games around here but their minimums are enough to keep me away except for that once or twice a year trip.  (Probably a good thing come to think of it)

[Flanders]

Haven't been yet - but will check out the table games (Craps) to see the limits.   

Apparently $5 minimum table games only exist in Vegas and Niagara Falls...

Don't know who keeps supporting some of the table games around here but their minimums are enough to keep me away except for that once or twice a year trip.  (Probably a good thing come to think of it)

I have found $5 blackjack in Windsor on a Thrsday afternoon.  At 5pm ish they switced over to a higher limit.

It's crazy but hey as long as those tables are filled, why do $5?

[Monique]

They still have live racing at Raceway Park on Saturdays and Sundays (according to the website, anyway).
 
Before anyone thinks of going, I warn you that it is a beaten down, depressing place.  Raceway Park was once a fun, lively place to spend an evening.  Not any more.  I hadn’t been there in over ten years and decided to visit on a whim when I was down there once last year.  It’s like the living dead, with only a few hardened gamblers and people from the horse industry around.  The facilities have not been improved upon in decades.  The only reason they kept it open for the past several years was in the (now dead) hope that the laws would change and they could add slot machines.  I thought I had heard that the license was purchased by a group that was going to move it to Columbus or some other place in Ohio, but it is still open, for now.  They need to just put the place out of its misery.

Aww, that's too bad about Raceway Park. My parents used to go there as their 'night out' a couple times a month when I was a kid. I remember they dressed in nicer clothes and it was truly a "date" destination. I've only been a few times, with them and on dates of my own, but it was a decent place then (years ago!).

I agree that there's nothing quite like rooting for your horse to come in! My Mom & Dad were big fans of harness racing, and I can still remember how excited and happy they were when they were watching a race. I still have a few old racing forms of my Dad's with all of his calculations scrawled in the margins. He had a system. He hit the trifecta more than a few times, too! Brings back lots of fond memories....

As far as the casino, I'm pretty ambivalent about gambling in general. I can take it or leave it. We have no plans to go. Seems like a new casino would set their slot machines to pay out at least a little bit to entice people to come and begin their addiction (*wry chuckle*) rather than be stingy with the payouts and comps, too!

[Monique]

Probably won't go I like to smoke and drink while I gamble. If your gonna sin go all in.

[BigRedDog]

Lots and lots of photos from the grand opening:

http://p-a-photography.photoswarm.com/

[AshleyatAttitudes]

I have been anxious to get down there and try it. I've heard great things about it...