West Virginia casinos partially reopen after river flooding
Wheeling Island Hotel Casino Racetrack resumed slot machines and other limited operations hours ago after being closed for days due to flooding.
Last Wednesday afternoon, water from the nearby Ohio River flooded the area, including West Virginia casino complex Wheeling, which was forced to close.
The casino announced on social media that the property's "Greyhound Track" needs to be completely replaced due to flooding. The surface of the sand was likely washed away, West Virginia television station WTRF reported. It's unclear when games may resume.
Neither the casino's gaming arcade nor its hotel appeared to be damaged by the flooding.
Hotels, poker rooms remain closed
However, poker gaming and the 151-room hotel are closed "until further notice," according to a Facebook post.
Finally, it was four o'clock in the afternoon. The complex reopened slot machines and sports betting on Sunday. There are more than 1,100 slot machines in the casino. Table games will reopen at 6:00 p.m. These include games such as craps, blackjack, and roulette.
There was a buffet last night. Some other dining options remain unavailable.
There was no immediate information on whether the casino's high-limit rooms were functioning properly. It has 77 machines.
The casino also features a 1,000-seat exhibition room. Two shows scheduled for later this month have been postponed.
The playground has 2,800 parking spaces, and it's unclear whether some of those spaces are unavailable to motorists due to flooding.
The four-day temporary closure apparently resulted in lost sales and disappointed potential visitors.
The past few days have been challenging, but thanks to the dedication of our team and the support of emergency services, we are excited to reopen and welcome our valued guests,” Wheeling Island management said in a recent post.
Cleanup began late last week. Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration employees were observed using hoses to clean the field surface to remove a relatively large amount of dirt.
OHIO RIVER CROWN
The Ohio River peaked at 41.49 feet Thursday night near Wheeling, the Wheeling News-Register reported. This is the river's highest elevation since 2005.
Wheeling Island and nearby locations are reportedly inaccessible by car due to flooding.
The casino parking lot and nearby Wheeling Island Stadium were flooded Thursday afternoon.
Many homes and businesses in the area were flooded. The buildings also had dirt in their basements, according to news reports.
A layer of dirt appeared on Wheeling Island Stadium's artificial turf due to flooding, the Press-Register reported. The report added that the venue required extensive cleaning to remove dirt and prevent stains on the artificial turf.
Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack is owned and operated by Delaware North Corporation.
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Source: www.casino.org
