Four years ago, the Racino at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway opened its doors to patrons hoping to spend a dime, win a dollar and have a grand time in the process.

Today, the Racino is still ringing, flashing and drawing in visitors from near and far.

“It has added great promotions for tourism in the city,” said Joe Dalton, president of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.  “It’s another attraction to bring people to the area.”

When the Racino opened on January 28, 2004, it offered approximately 300 jobs for area residents, both full and part time. This past year, additions on the property have also added new jobs, totaling over 600 employees. Additions include Vapor, a two-story nightclub, Garden Buffet, a buffet-style restaurant with seating for 300 guests, and 400 additional video lottery terminals. The 45,000 square foot addition cost about $40 million.

“Everything is still going really well.  Attendance is steady.  We really are no different from any other downtown Saratoga business,” Rita Cox, vice president for marketing, said. “We’ve added an economic stimulus by employing so many people in Saratoga County, and we can assume some of that money is going back into the local economy.”

Recent developments in the state government may change former Governor Spitzer’s plan to take away video lottery terminal (VLT) revenue, said Commissioner of Finance Ken Ivins said.

The Assembly and Senate have since overturned Spitzer’s decision, and it is up to Governor Paterson to make the final decision. In 2007, Saratoga Springs received $3.8 million, and Saratoga County received $1.3 million in VLT revenue. Under Spitzer’s plan, Saratoga Springs and Saratoga County would receive the same amount this year, receive half in 2009-2010, and funding would end in 2011.

“This is potentially great news for Saratoga.  We are entirely grateful to Senator Joseph Bruno and Assemblyman James Tedisco for all of their hard work in Albany,” Ivins said. “If we get to keep the revenues, it would go into our general funds and would help sales tax and general upkeep of the city.”

Estimated yearly attendance for last year is 2 million guests, and approximately 50,000 people per week. Because there are no turnstyles on the property and entry is free of charge, it is difficult to determine exact attendance, Cox said. 

When the Racino opened in 2004, net income after payout for the month of February was $5,341,957. Four years later, net income after payout for February 2008 was $9,767,616, according to New York Lottery.  Revenues are also distributed to aid New York State education. Monies donated to education in February 2004 totaled $3,258,594. February 2008 saw $5,469,865. 

“We are very happy with the way things are going,” Cox said. 

On January 1, 2008, Delaware North, the operator of Saratoga Gaming and Raceway, took over management of the Gideon Putnam Hotel and Conference Center and Roosevelt Baths and Spa. With this new entity, there are more options for prizes for guests and more options for revenue, Cox said.

According to Dalton, a setback for the community is the recent changeover from State Police providing security to Saratoga Springs Police. 

“This could put a strain on the local police force, having fewer men and women on the streets could potentially pose a problem,” he said. “So far though, Saratoga Gaming and Raceway has been a positive entity in the community.”

As for plans for the future, employees are gearing up for summer.

“Just like every other business, August is our peak and we need to prepare for that,” she said. 

As for the public, people are still enjoying all that Saratoga Gaming and Raceway has to offer. Harness racing purses have increased from $2.9 million in 2003 to $13 million in 2007, Cox said. 

“This has been a great revival for the harness track,” she said.

Ballston Spa resident Jerry Bordeau, 32, had never been to a harness track before the Racino opened. 

“I’ve been to the Saratoga Racetrack plenty of times, but I’d never seen a harness race before.  

It’s pretty interesting, and I never would have gone if the Racino wasn’t here,” he said. “I also really like spending an afternoon trying to win some cash on the machines too.”