The former site of a General Motors plant on the west side of Columbus, Ohio is being demolished in order to build a casino.

Penn National Gaming, an owner of casinos and off-track betting facilities headquartered out of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, recently completed the purchase of the 123-acre property.

The Hollywood Casino Columbus is expected to open in the second half of 2012, pending voter approval. This gambler’s paradise will span 180,000 square feet and include 4,000 slot machines, 100 table games, 25 poker tables, and a 4,000 car capacity garage. Beverage and entertainment outlets are expected to be included in the plan too.

Eric Schippers, a Penn National Exec said, “If the voters of Ohio approve the casino relocation in May, we will quickly move to the next steps in the development of this casino, which will create thousands of construction and new full-time permanent jobs and generate hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues for all of Ohio's 88 counties and school districts throughout the state."

Apparently in today’s economic climate, a casino is more beneficial to the community than an automotive manufacturing plant operated by the second largest automaker in the world.

theCD’s take: Is there something wrong with this picture?



Source: Penn National Gaming, Inc.