Full house ahead: On Friday, Terre Haute finally gets its casino
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Friday’s grand opening of the Terre Haute Casino Resort will introduce the city to a level of opulence and luxury — and plain old shiny newness — it has rarely seen in the past.
On Wednesday, Mike Rich, general manager of the casino, led the media on a guided tour, showing off 1,000 slot machines, 50 electronic table games, 30 gaming tables, six live poker tables, three restaurants, two bars and who knows how many video screens showing a plethora of sporting events — all of it brand new and available 24/7.
Other bars and restaurants will be added when the hotel opens on May 15. Like the casino, those will cater to patrons at least 21 years old.
After a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. Friday featuring local political leaders, representatives from casino owner Churchill Downs and those who had a hand in the casino’s construction, the $290 million gaming center will open its doors to the public at 10:30.
“It’s two years in the making, and we’re excited to bring this outstanding property to the area,” Rich said. “To be part of the design process and then to see it all come to life is unbelievable.”
Entering the casino, one is greeted by a plethora of slot machines and gaming tables. A circular bar in the center of the vast room, the Crossroads Center Bar, is the casino’s interior focal point.
TV screens surround the entirety of the center bar — “enough screens to see any game that is on at any given time,” Rich said.
Sportsbook wagering can be done at the bar and at a station to the immediate left of the entrance. Rich said it’s a complete coincidence that the casino will open the weekend of the NCAA’s men’s and women’s Final Four championships, a particularly busy time for sportsbooks.
“Total coincidence,” he said. “I would love to say we planned it, but no, it’s total coincidence.”
To the far left of the casino entrance is a live poker room with six tables and a High Limit gaming room for big spenders with slots on the left and gaming tables to the right.
In the back of the High Limit room is a speakeasy bar decorated with prohibition-era memorabilia, such as a photo of men marching while toting signs reading “WE WANT BEER.”
The bars — six in all when the hotel opens — are “all very unique,” Rich said.
Also to the left is an outdoor patio for smokers which has 200 slot machines. Slots throughout the casino have names like Goldfish Feeding Time, Piggy Burst, Buffalo Strike, Whisker Wheels, Raise the Sails and Ultimate Fire Link Explosion.
Three restaurants are situated in close proximity to one another and refer to elements from Terre Haute’s history.
The Four-Cornered Steakhouse recalls a four-cornered racetrack that was popular in Terre Haute in the late-18th century and features art with a horse motif. Steaks go for between $55 and $95 with appetizers such as shrimp cocktails and crab cakes in the $30 range.
The steakhouse is adjacent to the Rockwood Bar and Grill, named after the family which once owned the land occupied by the casino. Entrées range from a blackened shrimp and crawfish quesadilla for $16 to a pound of prime rib with the vegetable of the day for $44; menu prices are not dissimilar from other restaurants around Terre Haute, casino officials said. The Rockwood will offer live bands playing background music.
Guests will be able to book reservations for those restaurants after Friday.
Since the original contoured Coca-Cola bottle was created in Terre Haute, its look and feel is part of the diner Soda Shoppe, which will offer sandwiches in the $10 range.
Scattered throughout the casino are three tables for patrons to sign up for four-tier players cards, which provide users with benefits based on what tier the player is on. Cardholders advance to the next higher tier through increased patronage of the casino.
Initially, Churchill Downs named the casino The Queen of Terre Haute before changing it to its current moniker. Nonetheless, it maintained the queen’s logo sporting a large capital Q which is used profusely throughout the casino and adorned on the side of the hotel.
The Terre Haute Casino Resort boasts just under 600 employees and is looking to add more. Another dealers school for those working poker and blackjack tables is in the planning stages. Those interested can apply online at terrehautecasino.com.
Churchill Downs sought to set the Terre Haute Casino Resort apart from the usual betting experience.
“People will see the level of spending and the level of seriousness we took to make this a special place to visit,” Rich said. “No one else in Indiana is offering these levels of amenities as far as casino properties [are concerned]. It feels like a resort rather than a gambling hall with a restaurant.”
The casino hosted an invitation-only soft opening for VIPs on Wednesday night.
