Tioga Downs is a county-fair-themed

standardbred The Standardbred is an American horse breed best known for its ability in harness racing, where members of the breed compete at either a trot or pace. Developed in North America, the Standardbred is recognized worldwide, and the breed can trace i ...

racetrack (5/8 mile) and commercial casino located on a site in

Nichols, New York Nichols is a Town (New York), town in Tioga County, New York, Tioga County, New York (state), New York, United States. The town contains a village also called Nichols (village), New York, Nichols. The town is on the south border of both the count ...

History

Tioga Downs originally was a

quarterhorse The American Quarter Horse, or Quarter Horse, is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name is derived from its ability to outrun other horse breeds in races of a quarter mile or less; some have been clocked at ...

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

In 2000,

Jeffrey Gural Jeffrey Gural (born July 6, 1942) is a New York real estate developer. Early life and education Gural was born to Jewish American real estate developer Aaron Gural and Harriet Feil. His mother died in 1945. His father was part owner of Newmar ...

, a real-estate executive, horse owner, and racing enthusiast, began lobbying for state approval of

Video Lottery Terminals A video lottery terminal (VLT), also sometimes known as a video gaming terminal (VGT), video slots, or the video lottery, is a type of electronic gambling machine. They are typically operated by a region's lottery, and situated at licensed establis ...

(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,

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betting, and over 800 VLTs. Tioga Downs has two bars, a

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, banquet room, coffee/bakery shop, and buffet. It also has a stage area, which hosts concerts. Artists that appeared at Tioga Downs have included

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, and

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. 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

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,

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, and slot machines are available. The largest progressive offered is typically $250,000+ at a group of Hot Shot machines.

Racing

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

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

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, Gov.

Andrew Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( ; ; born December 6, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the same position that his father, Mario Cuo ...

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. The expanded Tioga Downs opened in December 2016.

Community Involvement

In March of 2021, Tioga Downs Casino Resort and the Food Bank of the Southern Tier teamed up to give 5,000 families facing food insecurity ham dinners. These families, living throughout Broome, Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, and Tompkins counties, are able to celebrate Easter with plentiful food thanks to Tioga Downs and the Food Bank of the Southern Tier. Tioga Downs Casino Resort owner, Jeff Gural, presented the Food Bank of the Southern Tier with a $100,000 check during the event.

References

* * * * * {{cite news , title=Tioga Park Closes , url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/07/20/archives/tioga-park-closes.html , newspaper=The New York Times , date=July 20, 1978 , accessdate=2011-10-29

External links

Tioga Downs Casino Website
Horse racing venues in New York (state) Casinos in New York (state) Tourist attractions in Tioga County, New York Buildings and structures in Tioga County, New York 2006 establishments in New York (state)