Charles Town Race and Slots Casino Review (Charles Town, West Virginia)
Charles Town Race and Slots is located in Charles Town, West Virginia not far from Leesburg Maryland and a short drive from Baltimore, Maryland or the Pennsylvania border. It is easy to get to if you are in the general area and provides live and simulcast racing.
The Casino boasts 4,500 slot machines on the first floor and has a varied theme to it. I played most of the time I was there in the OK Corral. The elegantly appointed casino has plenty of room to wander and the bells and whistles rival that of any mainstream casino in Las Vegas or Atlantic City.
There are machines ranging from 1c to $5 and there is a non-smoking area for those offended by such smells.
The 2nd floor boasts a large pari-mutual area where there are personnel to take wagers on horse racing from around the world for simulcast racing and for track wagering when the track operates. There is a large glass enclosed viewing area overlooking the track. It also houses the Executive offices, which surprisingly were unattended at the time I was there and the doors were unlocked allowing anyone to roam thru it as I did.
Charles Town Race and slots is owned and operated by Penn National Gaming, Inc., which owns or manages several other facilities in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Iowa, Maine, Mississippi, and Louisiana. They also offer Live racing at Freehold Racing in Freehold, New Jersey and Raceway Park in Toledo, Ohio. Bangor Raceway in Bangor, Maine, Penn National Race Course in Grantville, Pennsylvania and of course here at Charles Town Penn National also offers Off Track Wagering in Pennsylvania at six different locations.
On the casino floor, there are different themed areas, Hollywood slots, Silver Screen, OK Corral, Slot Central, and Slot City. There is dining, however the food is not very good. You can choose from a buffet, a grill or the food court, which has a variety of different outlets. I suggest you eat before you go or after you leave.
Currently Charles Town Racing and slots is undergoing some renovations, which will include an on-site hotel.
Penn National Gaming Inc also offers Online Gambling via ebetusa.com/racing and Telebet which allows you to call in and wager on any horse race in the Meadowlands, Yonkers, Laurel Park and several other tracks around the country, then you can watch the race on WebTV. Sign up is easy and you must fund your account as you do with Online Gambling. They also have eleven OTW sites in Pennsylvania for your convenience. They also sponsor equibase.com, which provides results, handicapping and other tools for the horse enthusiast and Pennbet.com for home wagering.
At Charles Town Race and Slots, I found the machines to be similar to other venues with the exception of a quirky law that only allows you to put in $1, $5, $10 & $20 bills or a ticket. I found this very inconvenient as all I had with me were $100 bills and needed to see a cashier every time I lost.
There are no table games yet but there soon will be and the casino floor has much room to accommodate this new activity, albeit, some slots will be sacrificed. There are two parking garages and an outdoor parking area that can accommodate many more cars than they have visitors.
Reviewed by Bob Hartman of Casino Gambling Web, an Internet gambling news reporitng site.
Charles Town Racing and Slots
U.S. Route 340
Charles Town, WV 25414
800-795-7001