Hollywood Park and Casino
Hollywood Park is a 240-acre thoroughbred racing and casino gaming facility in Inglewood, California.
Hollywood Park is one of the Golden State's most famous racetracks and has two racing seasons in a year - the Spring / Summer Meet that usually goes from April to July and the Fall Meet that goes from November to December.
Hollywood Park also regularly hosts a slew of stakes races, which includes the Vanity Handicap, the Californian, the Beverly Hills Handicap, the American Oaks and the Hollywood Gold Cup.
Hollywood Park is also home to Hollywood Park Casino. This art deco-styled casino opened on July 1, 1994 to standing-room-only crowds.
The first casino in the United States located within a racetrack, Hollywood Park Casino combines the action and excitement of the most popular live casino card games with the thrill of live & simulcast thoroughbred wagering. In addition, Hollywood Park-Casino is home to the largest charity bingo hall this side of the Mississippi and a diverse range of entertainment and special events.
Hollywood Park Casino offers 100 live-action table games, including all of the popular poker games.
Hollywood Park Casino Facts
Poker games (66 tables) include: Hold'em, 7-Card Stud, Omaha and Mexican Poker
Table games (34 tables) include: "No Bust" Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, Super Pan 9, Pai Gow Poker, Pai Gow Tiles and Tonk
Gaming space: Over 60,000 square feet
In addition to live gaming, a variety of poker tournaments and promotions are offered throughout the year. Major annual tournaments include the Poker Derby, Sport of Kings and National Championship of Poker. The daily Poker & Ponies tournament is offered every afternoon and the Endless Summer tournament is held weeknights, Monday through Thursday.
Although the Casino controls game play, it holds no interest in winnings or the outcome of games. The Casino provides professional dealers, but players compete against each other and bank the game themselves. Casino income is generated from nominal seat rental or per-hand fees.
Many movies and TV shows with a Las Vegas or casino storyline, were filmed at Hollywood Park Casino. Hollywood Park Casino served as the filming location for a number of major motion pictures and television shows including:
- Gone in 60 Seconds
- Johnson Family Vacation
- The Italian Job
- SWAT
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
- Very Bad Things
- CSI - Las Vegas (multiple episodes)
- Cold Case
- Beverly Hills 90210 (multiple episodes)
- Fastlane
- Party of Five
- Blind Date (multiple episodes)
Hollywood Park Casino History
In 1992 Hollywood Park Operating Company conceived the idea for the Casino to transform Hollywood Park into a bettor's paradise. Inglewood voters passed an initiative in November of that year, and development began on the site of the $40 million Pavilion of the Stars - a six story, 255,000 square-foot building that was completed in 1984 in anticipation of the inaugural Breeders' Cup race.
Hollywood Park Casino was completed in 1994 as part of an aggressive expansion effort at the Hollywood Park complex. More than $20 million was invested into the initial building and design of the Casino, with an additional $5 million allocated for state-of-the-art gaming equipment. An additional $1 million has been invested to develop the Bingo Pavilion and add banquet space. Hollywood Park Casino holds the distinction of being the first casino in the U.S. to be located at a racetrack and has the world's largest neon sign (visible from the air by airplanes landing at Los Angeles International airport) attached to its roof spelling out the word "CASINO".
Opening day: July 1, 1994.
In 1999, Hollywood Park Operating Company (now Pinnacle Entertainment, NYSE symbol PNK) sold the Hollywood Park Racetrack and Casino to Churchill Downs, and leased back the casino. Pinnacle Entertainment entered into an agreement with Leo & Ivy Chu (Century Gaming Management) in September 1999 to operate the Hollywood Park Casino. The Chu's are also owners and operators of the Crystal Park Casino Hotel located in Compton California - Los Angeles' first-ever hotel/casino property.
Adjacent to the casino, on the Hollywood Park property is a new retail development center featuring national retailers such as Target, Home Depot, Bally's Total Fitness, In-N-Out Burgers, Starbucks, Walgreen's and many more.
Place a bet on your favorite horse or play your favorite casino game now.