by Tom LaMarra, USTA Web Newsroom Correspondent

Lexington, KY — Penn National Gaming Inc. officials said Thursday (April 24) they expect slot machines to be operating at Plainridge Park Casino in Massachusetts in June 2015.

PNGI purchased the Plainridge harness track last year, and earlier this year was awarded the lone slots license in the state by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. The live race meet began early in April at the facility, which also offers year-round simulcasts.

PNGI president and chief executive officer Tim Wilmott said the company is watching casino-related developments in Massachusetts, including an effort to “recall” the state gaming act in a statewide November referendum. Candidates for full-scale casino licenses have not yet been licensed.

“We believe right now we have a two- to three-year runway at operating at (Plainridge) before the others open,” Wilmott said. “We’re moving quickly to get that facility open.”

Plainridge Park Casino will have 1,250 slots and cost about $225 million to construct. PNGI projects daily win-per-machine of about $250 at the outset, and in years three to five — assuming other competition — of $120-$130 per machine per day.

Eric Schippers, vice president of public affairs for PNGI, said if the Massachusetts Supreme Court decides to put the recall proposition on the ballot, the company is confident voters will acknowledge the jobs the gaming industry creates and the importance of preserving the gaming act.

“But we’re not taking anything for granted,” Schippers said.

Purses this year at Plainridge are up somewhat from last year under an agreement reached between PNGI and the Massachusetts horsemen. The meet is scheduled to run through Dec. 6.