Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway is a north Dayton, Ohio, racino with nearly 1,050 slot-style machines, a retail sportsbook, and a harness racetrack. Its strongest draw is that combination, especially when live racing gives you a reason to step away from the machines. The main limitation is its narrower gaming and overnight offering: there are no live table games or attached hotel. I’d consider it for machine players, racing fans, and a few hours out, rather than a resort weekend.
Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway: quick facts
| Address | 777 Hollywood Blvd., Dayton, OH 45414 |
|---|---|
| Casino type | Racino with video lottery terminals and harness racing |
| Gaming-floor hours | Listed by Birdeye as open 24 hours daily; other services follow separate schedules |
| Minimum gaming-floor age | 21 |
| Machines | Nearly 1,050, according to the operator’s approximate inventory |
| Live table games | No |
| Poker room | No |
| Retail sportsbook | Yes |
| Horse racing | Live season advertised for September through December 2026; simulcast wagering seven days a week |
| Attached hotel | No |
| Indoor smoking | Not permitted, according to the property’s 2025 horsemen’s guide |
| Rewards program | PENN Play |
| Main phone | 937-235-7800 |
| Information date | October 15, 2026 |
What kind of casino is Hollywood Dayton?
The important word is racino. Hollywood Dayton combines machine gaming with horse racing, rather than offering the dealer-operated games found at a full-service casino.
That distinction matters more than the Hollywood name. A group of machine players may find exactly what it wants here. A group split between slots, blackjack, and craps will not. Compare the gaming mix with other Ohio casinos before choosing your destination.
My take is that the track is the real differentiator. Without a live race card, this is primarily a machine-gaming stop with sports and simulcast wagering. On a race date, there is a stronger reason to take a break from the floor and make an evening of it.
Slots, video poker, and the casino floor
The official gaming page advertises nearly 1,050 video and reel machines. These are video lottery terminals, or VLTs, commonly described as slots. The figure is approximate, not a guarantee that a particular title will be available.
Check the total wager before playing. A cabinet’s denomination is not necessarily the price of a spin, and progressive jackpots may have specific betting requirements.
If video poker is your main interest, establish whether your preferred game is available and inspect its pay table. A poker-themed machine is not necessarily conventional video poker, and neither is evidence of a poker room.
What payout figures can tell you
The Ohio Lottery’s fiscal-year-2026 report through August provides historical property-level VLT results. Its payout measure uses net win, which accounts for promotional credits as well as credits won. The report labels its figures unaudited and rounded.
That is background information, not a pay table for your machine or a forecast for your visit. I would not choose a machine because someone calls it “loose,” or increase a bet because a losing session supposedly means a win is due.
Table games and poker room
Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway has no live dealer table games and no dedicated player-versus-player poker room. Do not plan a visit around blackjack, craps, roulette tables, poker cash games, or poker tournaments.
For a table-game player, this is a meaningful limitation. A large machine selection is still a machine selection.
Sportsbook and harness racing
On-property retail sportsbook
Hollywood Dayton has a retail sportsbook, not merely televisions showing games or a mobile betting advertisement. The official sportsbook page describes building a wager, receiving a QR code, and presenting it to a teller for a live ticket.
Check teller hours separately from gaming-floor hours. If you want to watch an entire game, ask about seating and food service, too. Placing a bet and having a comfortable place to spend an afternoon are different things.
Keep paper tickets secure, and read their redemption terms. Do not assume a retail ticket, a mobile betting account, and a PENN Play account work interchangeably.
Live racing versus simulcasts
The property’s racing page advertises live harness racing from September through December 2026, with simulcast wagering in the theater and clubhouse seven days a week. Trackside seating provides an up-close view of the live action.
I would plan a racing-focused visit around a specific card, not simply the season. Confirm the date and first-post time before leaving. Watching and wagering on races elsewhere through simulcasts is not the same outing as watching horses on Dayton’s track.
People under 21 may watch the harness races, but they must use the Racing Entrance near the racetrack and Sunset Patio. That permission does not extend to the gaming floor.
Hotel and overnight planning
There is no attached hotel. Overnight visitors need separate lodging and transportation rather than an elevator ride upstairs after playing.
The north Dayton and Miller Lane area is a useful starting point for a lodging search. The property’s local hotel guide names Drury Inn & Suites Dayton North, Courtyard by Marriott Dayton North, and Home2 Suites by Hilton Dayton Vandalia. These are separate properties, not rooms attached to the casino.
Compare the drive, cancellation terms, and total room cost. A hotel listing that mentions the casino does not establish a shuttle service. For a local outing, the lack of rooms may not matter; for an overnight trip with drinks, arranging the ride back is essential.
Restaurants, bars, and non-gambling appeal
I would make the meal plan before making the trip, particularly for a late arrival. A gaming floor that stays open around the clock does not mean its kitchens do.
Take 2 Grill is one named option, listed by the property as serving American cuisine. Check its current menu and hours, along with the wider dining lineup, rather than assuming a buffet or several full-service choices will be available.
For non-gamblers, the strongest attraction is live harness racing, with trackside seating and the clubhouse offering alternatives to the gaming floor. This is a better fit for someone who enjoys watching races than someone seeking a pool, spa, and hotel-resort weekend.
Directions, age requirements, and practical visit tips
Use 777 Hollywood Blvd., Dayton, OH 45414 for navigation. The property is north of downtown Dayton, near the I-75 corridor. Plan transportation between the casino, your hotel, and any dinner stop as one trip.
Before a race or event, allow time to find the appropriate entrance. Visitors with mobility needs should call ahead about the best arrival point and any assistance required. Ask about current parking or valet arrangements rather than assuming a particular service is offered.
Age and identification
You must be 21 or older to enter the gaming floor. Bring valid government-issued photo identification. Use the separate Racing Entrance when visiting with younger race spectators.
Smoking policy
The property’s 2025 horsemen’s guide prohibits smoking in any building on the property. Ask where smoking is permitted outdoors rather than assuming a patio or entrance qualifies. The guide also lists the main property number as 937-235-7800.
What to budget
Keep gambling money separate from food, drinks, lodging, and the ride home. Check menu prices and any ATM charges before relying on them. I would rather arrive with a firm entertainment budget than make repeated withdrawals and reconstruct the cost afterward.
PENN Play rewards and dining value
Hollywood Dayton participates in PENN Play. Bring your existing account details, and check your individual offers before playing.
The official dining page advertises $2.00 in dining credit for each $1.00 in PENN Cash at participating destinations. That makes dining worth comparing with other uses of an existing balance, provided your outlet and purchase qualify.
- An illustrative $10.00 PENN Cash redemption provides $20.00 in eligible dining credit at the published conversion.
- An illustrative $30.00 eligible dining bill requires $15.00 in PENN Cash, before any taxes, gratuities, or other components whose eligibility has not been established.
These are budgeting examples, not quoted meal prices.
The gaming page also advertises separate rewards of $10.00 PENN Cash for downloading the rewards app, $15.00 for connecting an account to a machine through the app, and $25.00 for establishing a PENN Wallet account. Those amounts total $50.00 in promotional PENN Cash only if you qualify for all three and the offers can be combined. That is not $50.00 in withdrawable cash, nor is it simply a download reward.
Gamboool original analysis
We assembled the comparison below from published information and our calculations. These are selected examples, rather than measured gambling sessions or a representative survey.
| Detail | Published information |
|---|---|
| Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway gaming floor: Published machine selection | The operator advertises nearly 1,050 video and reel machines; this is an approximate inventory, not a game-by-game availability guarantee. |
| PENN Cash dining redemption: Published conversion and participation restriction | The dining page advertises $2.00 in dining credit per $1.00 PENN Cash, limited to participating PENN destinations. |
| PENN Play app promotion: App-download reward | The gaming page advertises $10.00 PENN Cash for downloading the rewards app. |
| PENN Play app promotion: Machine-connection reward | The gaming page advertises a separate $15.00 PENN Cash reward for connecting an account to a slot machine through the app. |
| PENN Wallet promotion: Account-establishment reward | The gaming page advertises $25.00 PENN Cash for establishing a PENN Wallet account; the extracted passage does not supply detailed eligibility terms. |
| Hollywood Dayton horse racing: Live racing season versus simulcast availability | The racing page identifies September–December 2026 as the live season, while advertising simulcast wagering seven days a week. |
| Hollywood Dayton racing access: Under-21 spectator entrance policy | Visitors under 21 may view harness racing, but must use the Racing Entrance near the racetrack and Sunset Patio; this is not permission to enter the gaming floor. |
| Hollywood Dayton race photography: Advance permission and equipment approval | Race photography requires advance permission through Security, approved equipment, and access limited to general viewing areas. |
| Hollywood Dayton race images: Publication and reproduction permission | The racing page expressly requires written permission for public display, reproduction, or sale of images; attribution alone does not satisfy the stated policy. |
| PENN Heroes benefits advertised on Dayton dining page: Discount ceiling and location restrictions | The page advertises a hotel discount of up to 30%, not a guaranteed rate reduction or evidence of an on-site Dayton hotel. Benefits are restricted to participating destinations and may vary by location. |
| Hollywood Dayton VLT reporting: Meaning of reported percent payout | The Ohio Lottery defines percent payout using net win and credits played. This is a property-level historical reporting measure, not a paytable or a promised individual-session return. |
| Hollywood Dayton VLT reporting: Promotional credits included in net-win definition | The Lottery subtracts both credits won and promotional credits when defining net win, so reported percent payout should not be described as a simple credits-won-to-credits-played ratio. |
| Hollywood Dayton VLT credit vouchers: Unclaimed-voucher reporting threshold | The Lottery report identifies vouchers unclaimed for over 180 days as funds owed to the commission; this passage does not establish the complete player-redemption procedure. |
| Calculation | Result | Takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| Dining credit from an illustrative $10.00 PENN Cash redemption | $20.00 of dining credit | Eligible dining redemption stretches existing PENN Cash further toward food and beverages; confirm participating outlets before ordering. |
| PENN Cash required for an illustrative $30.00 eligible dining bill | $15.00 of PENN Cash | Use the published conversion to budget an existing rewards balance, but verify which bill components qualify rather than assuming the entire check is covered. |
| Combined advertised PENN Cash for completing all three app and wallet actions, if eligible and combinable | $50.00 of promotional PENN Cash | The page advertises separate rewards for distinct actions, not simply for downloading the app. Confirm eligibility, combinability, and redemption terms before counting on the combined amount; this is not a withdrawable-cash calculation. |
Research references: pennentertainment.com 1, pennentertainment.com 2, pennentertainment.com 3, ohiolottery.com.
Method: Published inputs collected 2026-10-15. Illustrative assumptions are labeled, and the full calculation inputs remain in the saved research record. These examples support planning; they do not predict a particular session.
Check eligibility and redemption conditions before counting an offer toward your visit. Rewards are useful on play you already intended to make. Chasing them with extra gambling is a different proposition.
Guest feedback: complaints in context
Two older customer comments on Birdeye, displayed as approximately one and two years old in October 2026, both express dissatisfaction with machine payouts. That is a repeated complaint in those two accounts, not evidence about how your next session will go.
One reviewer also describes rude employees and frustration with identification checks. That is an individual service complaint, not an established property-wide pattern. Bring your ID regardless of age.
A guest can genuinely have a disappointing visit without that experience establishing that machines are manipulated, due to pay, or unusually favorable.
Who is Hollywood Dayton best for?
Hollywood Dayton makes the most sense for machine players and racing fans who want a straightforward north Dayton outing, with a retail sportsbook adding another reason to stop. I would plan around a live harness card if you want more variety than the gaming floor alone provides; simulcasts are a different experience. Choose a full-service casino or resort if your group wants dealer-operated games, an attached room, and substantial non-gambling amenities under one roof.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway open 24 hours?
Birdeye lists it as open 24 hours daily. Dining, sportsbook teller service, and racing follow separate schedules.
How many slot machines does Hollywood Dayton have?
The operator advertises nearly 1,050 video and reel machines. That is an approximate inventory of slot-style VLTs, not a guarantee of specific games.
Does Hollywood Dayton have blackjack or a poker room?
No. It has no live dealer table games and no dedicated player-versus-player poker room.
Does Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway have a sportsbook?
Yes. It has an on-property retail sportsbook with instructions for obtaining a betting ticket from a teller.
Can people under 21 watch the races?
Yes. Under-21 spectators must use the Racing Entrance near the racetrack and Sunset Patio. The gaming floor is restricted to visitors 21 and older.
Does Hollywood Dayton have a hotel?
No attached hotel is available. Overnight visitors need separate lodging and transportation.
Is live harness racing available every day?
No. Live racing follows scheduled dates within its season. Simulcast wagering is advertised seven days a week.
Sources and information date
Information dated October 15, 2026. Sources are linked alongside the relevant details. Machine inventories, promotions, racing dates, and service hours can change; confirm the details that matter to your visit before traveling.
Poker room and sportsbook
There is no dedicated poker room.