Tioga Downs Casino Resort is the place to play! Located in Nichols, NY, the casino features almost 800 machines, spacious hotel accommodations, fabulous dining & harness racing! Jun 14, 2019  Tioga Downs Casino is a horse track in Nichols, New York that features harness racing and is open Sun-Thu 9am-3am, Fri-Sat 24 hours. The horse track racino's 32,000 square foot gaming space features 919 gaming machines and thirty-seven table and poker games. The property has four restaurants, two bars and a hotel with 161 rooms.

Tioga Downs is a county-fair-themed standardbred racetrack (5/8 mile) and commercial casino located on a 138-acre (0.56 km²) site in Nichols, New York.

History[edit]

Tioga Downs originally was a quarterhorse track known as 'Tioga Park' in 1976, closing down after its third season. James Nuckel, then owner, stated that, 'the track had been losing thousands of dollars a day and was still in the red after three years of operation' (New York Times, 1978). Thereafter, a few private races and the occasional flea market were held at the location.

Revival[edit]

In 2000, Jeffrey Gural, a real-estate executive, horse owner, and racing enthusiast, began lobbying for state approval of Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) at racetracks. In 2005, they were approved. Shortly after Gural, with partnership from Nevada Gold and Casinos, bought the old Tioga Park for $32 million (New York Times, 2006; Press and Sun Bulletin, 2006). A ground-breaking ceremony was held July 22, 2005.

On June 9, 2006, Tioga Downs opened, offering harness racing, simulcast betting, and over 800 VLTs. Tioga Downs has two bars, a Subway restaurant, banquet room, coffee/bakery shop, and buffet. It also has a stage area, which hosts concerts. Artists that appeared at Tioga Downs have included Gretchen Wilson, Vanilla Ice, Tony Orlando, and Sister Sledge. During the warmer months, a trackside tent is available for wedding receptions, business meetings, parties, and awards' ceremonies. In 2011, The Tioga Downs Flea Market opened. In 2017, a hotel resort was added to the site.

Gaming[edit]

Tioga Downs has 802 VLTs, averaging ~92% payback. The racino offers player's club cards at three levels: classic, progressive and jackpot. Outside the gaming room Quick Draw and instant lottery tickets are available. Inside the racino, keno, video poker, and slot machines are available. The largest progressive offered is typically $250,000+ at a group of Hot Shot machines.

Racing[edit]

Tioga Downs schedules racing between May and September, typically on Friday and Saturday evenings (6:50 PM), and 1:30 PM on Sundays. The track record is 1:48.1, set by two horses: Bettor Sweet, in 2011, and Pet Rock, in 2013.

Financial history[edit]

Revenues from slot machines at Tioga Downs had increased steadily since opening in 2006. 'Net wins' (defined as total credits wagered minus total credits won) was $30 million during the abbreviated fiscal year 2006-2007, $43 million 2007-2008, $48 million 2008-2009, $50 million 2009-2010, $54 million 2010-2011, $60 million 2011-2012, and peaked in 2012-2013 at $61 million. The first year-over-year decline was recorded in 2013-2014 with the net win estimated at $57 million. On average, each slot machine contributes ~$200 in revenue per day (New York Lottery, 2014).

Expansion[edit]

The November 2013 voter approval of 'Proposal One'--an amendment to the New York State Constitution allowing table games at a prescribed number of venues--allowed the State of New York to issue a limited number of licenses for Las Vegas-style casinos in upstate New York. Tioga Downs owner Jeff Gural applied for a license to expand Tioga Downs to become a full-fledged casino featuring table games. Gural's initial application was denied; however, after Gov. Andrew Cuomo asked the New York State Gaming Facility Location Board to reconsider. In October 2015, the Board reversed its decision and issued a license to Tioga Downs.^[1] The expanded Tioga Downs opened in December 2016.^[2]

References[edit]

1. ^http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/2015/10/14/tioga-downs-get-casino-license-go-ahead-today/73899394/
2. ^https://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/local/new-york/2016/12/09/tioga-downs-revenues-top-827k-first-3-days/95217632/

• 'Tioga Downs plans to break ground following passage of casino gaming law'. The Daily Review. Towanda. November 20, 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-29.
• 'A confident Tioga Downs starts expansion'. Star Gazette. Elmira. November 18, 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-29.
• York, Michelle (June 18, 2006). 'Placing Bets on the Harness Racing, but Putting Their Money on the Slot Machines'. The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
• 'Tioga Downs owner bets racino will provide boost to Tier'. Press & Sun-Bulletin. Binghamton. March 19, 2006. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
• 'Tioga Park Closes'. The New York Times. July 20, 1978. Retrieved 2011-10-29.

External links[edit]

2384 West River Road
Nichols, NY 13812

888-WIN-TIOGA (1-888-946-8464)
(607) 699-3901

Tioga Downs is located 30 miles south of the Finger Lakes in Nichols, New York.

Tioga Downs has been a home to harness racing since 1976. It later became a racino by adding slot machines. In 2016 Tioga Downs invested $160 million to add a hotel and convert the racino into a destination resort.

The new hotel features 150 guest rooms and 11 suites. The conversion project also added a new restaurant, a 2,000-ft, full-service spa and two rooftop decks. Construction was finished in late 2017 with a grand opening in December 2017.

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Gaming

Open 24 hours Friday-Saturday; 9am-3am Sunday-Thursday
Must be 21 years of age to play
100% Smoke Free
32,590-sq-ft casino

892 slot machines including video poker and progressives (originally 950)

32 table games including electronic blackjack and electronic roulette

12 poker tables

Tioga Downs Resort Casino

Sports betting

Valet parking $4

Racing

Live harness racing
Simulcast races

Tioga Downs Casino Poker Tournaments

Restaurants

Event Center

Tioga Golf Club

Hotel

Open in late 2017
161 guest rooms, including 11 suites
100% smoke-free
AgeLess SPA

Rendering of New Hotel opened Dec 2017

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