Charles Town Races and Hollywood Casino
Making a Mark on History
Since it was founded in 1933, the race track at Charles Town has seen-
and made- history. During its 70-year run, the track has welcomed historical
figures, teetered on the brink of collapse, and reemerged as a premiere
gaming and entertainment facility.
The facility officially opened as Jefferson County Races on December 3, 1933.
The original owners, Albert and Joseph Boyle, spent $160,000 - a huge sum during
the height of the Depression - to build the facility
The Boyles had bet that Charles Town would draw crowds as the only northern track
to hold races during the winter season, and they were right. Even with freezing
temperatures and odds being calculated by slide rule, the grandstand overflowed.
Train service from Baltimore boosted attendance, and the track continued to thrive
through World War II.
By 2004, Charles Town Races & Slots had added simulcast racing, numerous dining options,
and 3,500 slot machines. Gaming boosted daily horse racing purses to more than $215,000
a day with each race averaging over nine starters.
In July 2010, Charles Town Races & Slots got a Hollywood Facelift - complete with renovations
to the gaming floor that invokes the glitz and glamour of 1930s' art deco Hollywood AND the
addition of table games!
Today, Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races is a world-class entertainment venue featuring
over 5,000 slot machines, 85 table games including Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, live poker,
Mini-Baccarat and Pai Gow Poker, live entertainment, a wide range of food and beverage choices,
and live and simulcast horse racing. The facility's ¾ mile surface now attracts some of the
East Coast's best trainers, horses and jockeys.
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