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The WVXU News Department presents a special series on the opening of the new Horseshoe Casino, exploring issues like security, parking, development around the area, gambling addiction, and much more.

Belterra Park (River Downs) set to open this spring

Weather permitting, Greater Cincinnati's newest player in the gaming industry will open in May. A live web-cam allows you to check the progress.

Belterra Park will feature 1,600 video lottery terminals, (VLTs) live racing on both a one-mile dirt track and Ohio's only turf track, seven-furloughs long, and six restaurants. Stadium Sports Bar and Grill will have 32 different brews on tap and 100 bottled beers.

The $300 million dollar development is the brainchild of General Manager Kevin Kaufman who convinced his company, Pinnacle Entertainment, to buy the former River Downs in 2011. He points to Coney Island and Riverbend, his Anderson Township neighbors. "I think we're creating a district that can be very exciting and it can build on other hotels that might come in here so there is a lot of opportunity," Kaufman said.

Belterra is hiring

Director of Human Resources Meghan Hollan says the company will hire 700 people. She says, "Right now we're kind of in the middle stages of our hiring but we still have hundreds of positions to fill and are going to be hiring very many people in the month of March to start in early to mid-April." You can apply hereor come to the hiring trailer on Kellogg Avenue where the company has rows of computers and is conducting interviews.

Pinnacle Entertainment also owns Belterra Casino Resortin Florence, Indiana.

Is there enough business for another gaming property?

Belterra Park will be the latest racino. Miami Valley Gaming, near the I-75 Monroe exit, opened in December. Horseshoe Cincinnati opened a year ago. Belterra Park's General Manager doesn't seem concerned. Kaufman says,"I just go back to it. I think we've got a special location and we've got the southeast side of Greater Cincinnati to ourselves and we're going to build a fantastic environment here."

Ann Thompson has decades of journalism experience in the Greater Cincinnati market and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her reporting.