PENN Entertainment Hosts Groundbreaking Ceremony For Ohio Casino Expansion

Pennsylvania-based company, PENN Entertainment Inc., is officially undergoing a dramatic expansion of Hollywood Casino Columbus, with a groundbreaking ceremony for a new hotel scheduled for today.

“We are thrilled to soon begin construction on a new, state-of-the-art hotel at Hollywood Casino Columbus,” said Jay Snowden, CEO and president of PENN Entertainment. “Since opening in 2012, our Columbus property has experienced tremendous growth, and the addition of a hotel at Hollywood Casino Columbus will create a true regional destination.”

$100 Million Budget For New Hotel

The ceremony at the casino is scheduled for 1 p.m. EST. Operated by PENN Entertainment, the entertainment, sports content and casino gaming experiences company based in Wyomissing, PA, the 160,000-square foot gaming facility is located off I-270 West, at 200 Georgesville Rd., in Columbus, OH. 

The casino features 1,700 slot machines, 70 table games, a retail sportsbook, and what’s billed as the largest poker room in Central Ohio. 

The new hotel is expected to include 180 rooms, a meeting space, and a restaurant, added to a lineup on the property that includes The Lounge at Final Cut Steak & Seafood, Mikey’s LateNight Slice, Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Palace, Zen Noodle, Wahlburgers and Sportsbook Restaurant. 

$850 Million For PENN Growth Projects

The budget for the project is approximately $100 million. The hotel will be attached to the existing property and will mean hundreds of construction jobs, plus approximately 100 new permanent jobs when the hotel opens. 

“We can’t wait to begin hiring new team members and welcoming more visitors from around the region to showcase our new hotel and the excitement of Hollywood Casino Columbus,” said Rick Skinner, vice president and general manager of Hollywood Casino Columbus.

Currently the closest hotel to the casino is a Holiday Inn, less than five miles away.

The new hotel is part of a growth project announced by PENN Entertainment in October 2022, that also includes the land-based relocation of Hollywood Casinos in Aurora and Joliet in Illinois (these have been riverboat casinos) and a second hotel tower at the M Resort in Henderson, Nevada. 

Snowden said in a statement that the overall estimated budget for the four new growth projects is approximately $850 million.

PENN Entertainment also launched ESPN Bet this month, which changed the PA online casino landscape.