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Pennsylvanians soon will have to decide whether it makes sense to hop in the car and drive 30 minutes or more to play slot machines in West Virginia when they'll have more than 60,000 of them in their own back yard.
Geoff Andres, president and general manager of Wheeling Island Racetrack and Gaming Center, doesn't mind admitting he's concerned about the hit his business will take when the Pennsylvania machines come on line - particularly those at the Meadows racetrack in nearby Washington, Pa., which was allotted up to 5,000 slot machines, and in Pittsburgh, where a 5,000 machine casino is in the works. The Meadows operation could be up and running by mid-year.
But Andres' concern is tempered by the $68 million-plus Wheeling Island has spent during the past 18 months to prepare the resort for what could be its biggest test yet.
Andres considers it money well spent. For that $68 million, Wheeling Island now has a new 151-room hotel to entice tour operators, event planners and vacationers. The resort also boasts expanded dining options, ranging from a steakhouse and a formal restaurant to a food court and small concessions areas, an 800-seat showroom where nationally known acts...