Prairie Meadows
Prairie Meadows, located in Altoona, Iowa, opened its doors for racing in 1989. Six years later, it became the first combination race track and slot machine casino operation in the US. It is operated by a board of administration for Polk County as a non-profit racing and gaming facility.
Prairie Meadows Track Layout
In addition to the standard one-mile racing oval, the track at Prairie Meadows also features a chute specifically for Quarter horse racing.
Track History & Facts
Prairie Meadows is another racetrack that was born due to legislation passing that legalized pari-mutuel horse betting. Prairie Meadows is owned and operated by the Racing Association of Central Iowa-a non-profit entity. After Iowa State legalized pari-mutuel betting, Prairie Meadows, in 1984, received a license from the Iowa State Racing Commission. The license allowed Prairie Meadows to operate a horse racing facility and three years later, in 1987, Prairie Meadows held a groundbreaking ceremony.
It wasn’t until two years later that Prairie Meadows was ready for business. In March of 1989, Prairie Meadows held the first live day of horse racing betting. Unfortunately, the opening was not a huge success and the track struggled, but help was on the way. In 1994, legislation was passed that allowed the installation of slot machines at Prairie Meadows. The next year slot machines were installed and revenues began an upward trend.
Soon, Prairie Meadows was on its feet and paying off its debts. 2004 was a great year, because legislation was passed that gave Prairie Meadows the ability to add casino table games. Prairie Meadows wasted no time installing the tables and the now entertainment destination was growing fast. The track expanded in 2005 and the future looks pretty good for Prairie Meadows.
Prairie Meadows now features a one-mile dirt track and offers various types of live racing along with simulcast action. Prairie Meadows has become more than a simple racetrack. It now offers a plethora of casino action and entertainment. They have even offered free concerts in the past.
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