Although its official grand opening has yet to occur, Champions Off Track Betting’s new location in Kingston, Ont. has been well received.
Tom Papakonstantinou, the manager of Champions, which is run by the Woodbine Entertainment Group, has said that the location opened in the lower level of the Don Cherry's Sports Grill (located at 692 Princess St.) on March 3.
The feedback has been positive to this point, according to Papakonstantinou, who also said that additional wagering terminals could be added to the location if the demand calls for it.
Papakonstantinou’s comments have come via an article by The Kingston Whig-Standard. In the piece he explains that the operators of Rideau Carleton Raceway used to control off-track wagering in the eastern Ontario region. Papakonstantinou has estimated that the weekly wagering average for the area was in the neighbourhood of $30,000. "We think we can at least get to that if not more than that," Papakonstantinou was quoted as saying.
He explained that the Kingston OTB will be starting out with three wagering terminals, but officials will “watch the numbers and if there is a need for more machines we'll be more than happy to do that."
Papakonstantinou stated that the new OTB, which features six large-screen televisions, is in the process of working out any kinks that may arise in the new venture, but that the grand opening will be on a Saturday prior to the Kentucky Derby.
The article goes on to explain that the location will have Wi-Fi availability for customers to wager through their HorsePlayer Interactive accounts, and that when patrons sign on through the Wi-Fi, the OTB location will get credit for that wagering. "We want the establishment to benefit from those customers (using Wi-Fi)," Papakonstantinou was quoted as saying.
(With files from The Kingston Whig-Standard)