Rosie’s New Kent unveils digital betting machines
Posted on March 26th, 2019
New Kent County, VA (WWBT) – Historical Horse Race machines are just one of the new features coming to the new Colonial Downs when it opens in April.
The facility closed six years ago, and will soon open its doors to horse race enthusiast and fans alike.
The Colonial Downs Group unveiled a demo of the Historical Horse Race machines Monday morning.
There will be 600 digital betting consoles installed all over Rosie’s game room.
“So I just bet on three races in 20 seconds right there,” said Nate Meiz of the Colonial Downs Group during the demonstration, explaining that one of the main draws to the Historic Horse Race machines is its rapidness.
They’re described as being like slots, and meant to draw in people that don’t normally place bets.
“If you look at the traditional customer who bets on horses, it’s male dominated, and an older demographic, [ages] 65-70+. With these games, a typical customer we’ve seen from other jurisdictions like Kentucky, an average customer is a female, [aged] 55+,” Aaron Gomes, of the Colonial Downs Group, said.
New Kent County, VA (WWBT) – Historical Horse Race machines are just one of the new features coming to the new Colonial Downs when it opens in April.
The facility closed six years ago, and will soon open its doors to horse race enthusiast and fans alike.
The Colonial Downs Group unveiled a demo of the Historical Horse Race machines Monday morning.
There will be 600 digital betting consoles installed all over Rosie’s game room.
“So I just bet on three races in 20 seconds right there,” said Nate Meiz of the Colonial Downs Group during the demonstration, explaining that one of the main draws to the Historic Horse Race machines is its rapidness.
They’re described as being like slots, and meant to draw in people that don’t normally place bets.
“If you look at the traditional customer who bets on horses, it’s male dominated, and an older demographic, [ages] 65-70+. With these games, a typical customer we’ve seen from other jurisdictions like Kentucky, an average customer is a female, [aged] 55+,” Aaron Gomes, of the Colonial Downs Group, said.
The machines will bring in a wave of new fans to the horse betting world, and a new revenue stream to the county.
“Projections had from anywhere from $9 million to $11 million,” New Kent County Economic Development Director Matthew Smolnick said. “I think our county’s operating budget this year was in the neighborhood of $70 million, so it’s substantial money.”
Smolnick says that’s the projection before the horse races actually start in the fall, as the machines will be generating a fair amount of profit each, around $150-160 per day.
But the track will also give back to the community, as it’s expected to create 800 jobs overall.
Rosie’s is set to officially open in mid-April, and the actual horse races and betting will start on Aug. 8.
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