Casino
Legislation passed in the state of Pennsylvania in July 2004 included The Meadows among the locations slated to obtain a gambling license for slot machines. The legislation upheld a 2005 legal challenge by gambling opponents, and on September 27, 2006, The Meadows was awarded a gaming license by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
On November 16, 2006, The Meadows broke ground on construction. Plans called for initial construction of a temporary casino adjacent to the track, which opened on June 11, 2007.
On September 5, 2007, a ceremony was held to mark the beginning of the grandstand removal, which was necessary to clear space for the permanent casino. The permanent casino opened on April 15, 2009; the temporary building was also closed on this date. Amenities include a 350,000-square-foot (33,000 m2) casino, food court, cafe restaurant, premier steakhouse with view of the race track, covered grandstand, simulcast viewing area, VIP boxes, and a 24 lane state-of-the-art bowling center. The Meadows features over 3,300 slot machines.
On July 6, 2010, The Meadows Casino hosted an "invite only test date" for casino table games. The test runs were successful, and at 6 AM on July 8, 2010, the table games (including roulette, blackjack, craps, etc.) opened to the general public. The chips used by the Meadows Casino are RFID chips that have a special microchip inside of them, that broadcasts to the table that it is a legit chip. This measure prevents fake or forged chips from entering into the play area. The cost per chip is slightly higher than normal chips, but has less chance of being counterfeited.
Read more about this topic: The Meadows Racetrack And Casino