Wilderness and Wonder Awaits You at The Meadows Casino

Located 25 miles southwest of Pittsburgh in North Strabane Township, Pennsylvania, rests The Meadows Racetrack and Casino. 

The Meadows offers everything you can ask for in terms of casino gaming, year-round horse racing, and given its location, all the activities to do as far west as Weirton, West Virginia, and as east as Pittsburgh. 

Whether The Meadows is your destination, or if you’re traveling through the scenic Upper Ohio Valley on your way to Atlantic City, this historic casino and viewing area is one you don’t want to miss out on.

Read further to see everything The Meadows has to offer. 

1 – History

Ground broke for the racetrack in November 1962 for parimutuel horse racing, and the track opened in June 1963. 

The Washington Trotting Association owned and operated the track in its formative years before a group including famous horse trainer Delvin Miller purchased the track in 1973.

In 1986, Pittsburgh lawyer Stuart H. Williams purchased the racetrack and sold it to Ladbroke Group PLC two years later. In June 1990, Ladbroke at the Meadows opened off-track betting parlors, the first of which opened in New Castle, Pennsylvania.

Other locations opened in Harmar Township, Greensburg, Johnstown, West Mifflin, and Moon. The Greensburg location closed, and the Johnstown location was sold to Penn National Gaming in 1998, which owns and operates the track and casino today. 

In 2001, Magna Entertainment Group leased the track from Ladbroke and opened Xpressbet, which allowed users to wager on over 300 tracks. Cannery Casino Resorts later purchased the track in 2006 before selling to Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc in 2014.

In September 2016, the track was sold to Pinnacle Entertainment before Penn National Gaming acquired operations in October 2018. 

2 – Games Offered

If you demand it, The Meadows has it. Along with its year-round horse racing, The Meadows Casino also offers over 2,500 slot machines and video poker, over 65 table games, a 14-table poker room, and a sportsbook. 

It’s one of the largest casino floors on the East Coast. Each slot and video poker machine offers ticket in/ticket out, allowing you to move from machine to machine with ease. Some of the most popular games offered are Lightning Link, Buffalo Gold, and 88 Fortunes. 

The High Limit Room offers a gaming experience for those looking to play at another level. The room offers slot and video poker machines from $1 to $100 bets, with a max bet of $375 per spin. 

The 14-table poker room offers traditional games like Texas Hold’em, Omaha Hi, and Omaha Hi/Lo. 

Such games are featured every day. And if you want to take your game to the next level, check out the tournament schedule. 

The Meadows also offers numerous poker promotions, such as Progressive Bad Beat.

Over 65 tables comprise the table gaming room with games like Craps, Blackjack, Roulette, and Baccarat. Other games include Big 6, Cajun Stud, Pai Grow, Three-Card Poker, Four-Card Poker, Mississippi Stud, Criss-Cross Poker, High-Card Flush, and Let It Ride. 

You will never get bored with the number of games The Meadows has to offer.

But if table gaming and slots aren’t your things, perhaps sports are. Located in the middle of the casino, the sportsbook at The Meadows has you covered regardless of your favorite sports to wager. 

The sportsbook covers all types of bets, like straight bets, parlays, futures, prop bets, matchups, and more. 

Accommodations include 86-inch HD TVs, comfortable seating, 18 sports-wagering terminals, and the gameday parking is always free. And if that isn’t enough The Meadows offers the only sportsbook where you can earn mycash and mychoice tier points with each bet. 

3 – Dining

The Meadows dining options offer a king’s ransom of some of the best food in Southwest Pennsylvania. From your steakhouse favorites to ethnic cuisine, to all-you-can-eat buffets, there is always something fantastic to choose. 

With a live carving station located in the middle of the restaurant, the Carvery offers the best buffet experience in the area. Or you can enjoy the area’s finest upscale four and five-course meals as you take a break from the slots. 

The Bistecca is your award-winning Italian-American steakhouse. But the Bistecca is more than just a fine dining option. Its location offers you outstanding views of the racetrack and surrounding hills the Ohio Valley has to offer. It’s quite a treat during the fall months.

Hosted by celebrity chef Fabio Viviani, The Eatery by Fabio Viviani offers some of the best Italian cuisines around. The Eatery also offers gourmet burgers, desserts, and craft beer.

The Pub offers perhaps the most extensive craft beer menu in the Ohio Valley along with over a dozen local crafts. The Pub Trackside offers quick eats and drinks to enjoy while keeping your eyes on the racetrack. 

Another fantastic option to grab a quick meal or drink without missing any of the action on the racetrack is at the Miller Lite Brewhouse. 

Whether you’re looking for something quick or something upscale, The Meadows will supply your demand.  

4 – Promotions

The Meadows offers a variety of casino promotions and offers with something new each month through mychoice. Mychoice is a rewards program that you can use at over 35 Penn National Gaming locations worldwide. You can also gain access to exclusive offers by signing up for mychoice. 

Free SlotPlay Giveaways are offered every Friday and Saturday from 5 PM to 8 PM, with three $100 winners every 15 minutes and one lucky $500 winner every hour. For a chance to win, sign up for a mychoice card (see the above link) and insert it into a machine. 

The sportsbook promo allows you to swipe a kiosk to make weekly football picks for the $100,000 pro football pick’em. If you score in the top 50, you receive a free SlotPlay prize and earn 100 tier points each week for an additional round of picks. 

You can also play all of your favorite casino games online with the new Double Take option. Just as when at the casino, you can use your mychoice reward cards to redeem points and win cash. 

Just by signing up to play, you’ll receive an instant $10 through this promo along with benefits such as deposit bonuses with your first two deposits. 

So, even if you’re not at Meadows you can still get the most of the casino gaming action right at your fingertips. 

5 – Entertainment 

The Meadows has entertainment options for guests of all ages including an event center, a smaller and more intimate lounge featuring local acts, and a bowling alley. 

You can experience some of the biggest acts in the world today at The Meadows Event Center. Or for something more local, head over to the H Lounge. If you’re the competitive type, Meadow Lanes is just what you’re looking for.

Tons of different acts perform over at The Meadows Event Center. Whether you’re looking for music, stand-up, or something new, the event center has you covered. Check the local lineup and see what The Meadows is offering. 

Catch up on the hottest local bands from Eastern Ohio, Northern West Virginia, and Southwest Pennsylvania in the H Lounge. Free concerts from local cover bands and tribute bands comprise the bulk of the H Lounge’s lineup. 

The Meadows Lanes offers 24 synthetic AMF lanes with four located within a VIP suite for private and corporate-based parties. Meadows Lanes offers a state-of-the-art bowling alley complete with dazzling audio and video technology. 

Its 42-inch HD flat-screen TVs give you an up-close experience with your favorite music, tv shows, and sporting events. Even if you aren’t a gambler, Meadows Lanes will still fill you in on something to do. 

For more information, click here.

6 – Nearby Attractions

Located so close to downtown Pittsburgh, there’s never a shortage of activities to partake in if you’re looking at taking a break from the gaming. From taking a break in the luxurious Hyatt Place Pittsburgh South to a day in downtown Pittsburgh, you’ll love what the area has to offer.

You can take a hike on the Panhandle Trail which extends from Northern West Virginia well into Pennsylvania, with various entrances to choose from, or for more entertainment, visit Burgettstown’s KeyBank Pavilion.

Sports fans can get their fix at Heinz Field, PNC Park, or PPG Paints Arena. 

And for those of us who are educational enthusiasts, the Carnegie Science Center, Heinz History Museum, and Andy Warhol Museum are also worth the visit. 

You can click here to find a complete list of attractions. And don’t forget, the list for things to do even outside The Meadows in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area is perpetually growing. 

Conclusion 

The Meadows Racetrack and Casino is a historic attraction that features some of the best gaming in a variety of ways in Southwest Pennsylvania.

Better yet, the casino features a fantastic variety of slots, table gaming, and poker, along with a sportsbook that will only grow as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and its surrounding area continues to revitalize. 

The greatest attraction about The Meadows isn’t just the bounding, forested scenery surrounding the racetrack; it’s the fact you don’t even need to be a gambler to enjoy its accommodations. With entertainment options that include even a bowling alley, everyone’s demand is met. 

So, the next time you’re traveling through the secluded backwoods of Southwest Pennsylvania, make sure to stop at the crown jewel of the area—The Meadows Racetrack and Casino. 

Have you been to The Meadows and if so, what was your experience? Let us know in the comments.