Ohio’s Beulah Park has long been suffering due to the recession. It’s no secret that the racing industry took a huge backslide when the market crashed. Not only did people cut back on their gambling budgets, they also cut down almost completely on horse and dog racing. Though you could find race tracks open, it did little to help them. The people needed to wager at them were just not coming in. Race track operators have tried everything from creating new schedules of races to changing wager requirements in an effort to bring in the money needed. It has been a hard thing to turn around because people are still not venturing back to race tracks for their gambling. In fact, most race tracks have numbers that are so diminished, that they are being forced to cut schedules down to almost nothing. This is horrible news for the market. Most race tracks see one way to revive their markets: slots gambling.

Of course slots have long been strong in the gambling market. They have proven their worth time and time again to everyone. No one knew that the unassuming games would end up being big moneymakers for casinos. In fact, most casino operators were looking to their table games as their sustenance. Little did they know that slots parlors would be the areas of the casino that proved to be the most beneficial. For this reason race tracks are looking to capitalize on the games too. Many race track operators want gambling to come into the market. They want to create slots parlors attached to their gaming floors. The hope is that slots will bring more people in steadily. This will take some of the pressure off of gambling on the races and allow people to wager on a wider variety of things. Beulah Race Park is just like the others and in Ohio the track’s owners are pushing for legalizing the machines. They want to bring in a number of them to push for revenues that are manageable. It’s no secret that Beulah, like other race tracks, is suffering and needs something to come in and save it.

There is hope for the Columbus Ohio gambling arena Beulah Park race track. The race track has long suffered diminished revenues due to the gambling decline created by the recession. It is taking longer than anticipated to rally the economy of the state too. Now race tracks are looking more and more to gambling as a means of turning around their own revenue streams. More race tracks than ever are looking to massive layoffs and even closings as their only options for moving forward. Slots gaming is one of the possibilities for them to save their businesses. The new blend of race track and slots parlors is dubbed a “racino” market. It is the perfect combination of race track with a gaming floor. The hope is that it will suffice to bring in gamblers to the market and continue to do business in today’s difficult market.

Right now Beulah Race Park is under new ownership and looking for some improvements to continue to grow the business. Penn National Gaming Inc was the company that purchased Beulah Park for $37 million and has spent about a half-million so far in improvements. Penn National Gaming has some faith in the park and hopes that with some further upgrades it can return the park to its older days of success. Right now the state’s Lottery Commission in entertaining the approval of bringing slots to the Beulah floor. This could take some time to get the approval for, but it would be a great move and it is common in the market for racetracks to form racinos as a means of survival. Research is showing that even loyal customers of the race track were seeing the need for improvements. They knew full well how the race track has declined over the past few years—namely due to the recession. Operators did not have the funds to put back into keeping up with the track and repairs. Now that there is new ownership, it is hoped that that problem will be fixed. In the future Beulah Race Park could return to former number and revive itself in the market. Penn National Gaming Inc. is hoping that is the case.

Many racetracks are looking to slot machines as a way to save their industry. Since the beginning of the recession many people have cut back seriously on their spending. The high unemployment rate, the lending crash and the home-value decline have all worked together to wreak havoc on the market. Experts estimate the recession won’t turn around visibly until mid-2010.  That is good news for some industries, but not good news for industries that were hoping for a more immediate turnaround. The economy’s recovery is predicated on the unemployment rate returning to normal. The national average is 10% but some cities are experiencing unemployment rates of 40% or more. It’s bad news for consumers wanting to budget and change their financial positions. Until consumers are able to financially return to their old ways of operations, it will be difficult for racetracks to find ways to sustain themselves and make ends meet.

Because of the economy, racetracks are pushing for slot machines to be brought into their gaming floors. Ohio is no different, but racetrack operators are using a unique argument to bring in the games. Operators are saying that though the new games they are bringing in play like slots, look like slots and payout like slots, they aren’t officially slots. They say that the games are not under the category of slot machines and therefore should be legal for operations on their racetrack locations.

Grove City’s Beulah Park has installed more than 30 of these non-slot machines that they call “sweepstakes games.” They say that they are simply trying to find ways of bringing in revenue and revive the horse racing industry. Because the games aren’t official slots games, they should be allowed. Beulah Park owners are also saying that without the machines, the racetrack may have to lay off workers, cut back or even close altogether.

Owners of the park are saying that these sweepstakes games are equitable to playing the popular McDonald’s monopoly game where players get “pieces” on cups and French fry containers. They then collect the pieces and try to fill out the game board for prizes. Owners of Beulah Park claim that their machines operate just like that. However, the McDonald’s game didn’t look or sound anything like a slot machine. Some residents in the area are worried because though slot machines aren’t allowed in the state, racetracks are trying to skirt the issue and sneak games in. They believe that the racetrack owners are being deceptive and dishonest with the people and legislators. They are also holding legislators responsible for enforcing the laws of slot machines and hoping that they make serous moves to keep the racetracks within the confines of the law.