Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Major workforce meeting with all counties in the Southern Tier occurs to begin the process of career placement for casino expansion

Casino Career Summit for the public set for December 28

Nichols, N.Y. - December 22, 2015 - As Tioga Downs prepares for its major expansion in the coming months, county labor executives and officials met with Tioga Downs leadership on December 11th to begin the process of placement for the hundreds of new jobs that will be added as part of phase one of the casino expansion project.

The goal of the meeting at Tioga Downs was to access the resources of and work with local Workforce in promoting available jobs, creating a pool of candidates and placing candidates in those jobs. There was an exchange of information that included job descriptions and development, promotional ideas, skill levels currently found in the local labor pools, necessary skills for the new positions, timeline of hiring and what services Tioga Downs need from the Workforce Centers.

Out of the many positions that will be available, over half of them are dealers for poker and the other table games that Tioga Downs will offer. Tioga officials announced that there will be training classes locally that will be free to the public for poker and table games, the details and schedule of which will be determined at the appropriate time and once in full compliance with New York State Gaming Commission regulations.

As part of the workforce agenda, the date for the first Tioga Downs casino career summit for the public was also announced. The summit will be held at Tioga Downs on December 28 from 12 - 4 pm in the stage front and winner's circle lounge. Tioga Downs executives have stated that this is an informational summit where interested employees can come down and find out about the many employment opportunities that will be available and how and when to apply for positions. There will be no hiring at the summit however interested job seekers will attain a lot of valuable information on the newly created positions and any requirements needed. The Available jobs will include poker room, table game and experienced dealers along with slots, guest services, cage, administrative, information technology, surveillance, facilities and food and beverage positions.

"We appreciate all of the time and effort being spent by our local workforce organizations to ensure that we place the right employees with the most appropriate positions. These folks are extremely valuable to our hiring process and we look forward to a great pool of candidates that we can put to work in 2016. We are currently in the process of building a database of potential future applicants, those interested in applying may do so by visiting www.tiogadowns.com/expansion. In addition, we encourage all interested job seekers to come out to the casino career summit on December 28th to learn more about the many local employment opportunities that will be available at Tioga Downs, it will be extremely informative," commented Jeff Gural, CEO of American Racing and Entertainment.

Tioga Downs offers live harness racing, video lottery terminals, video poker and electronic roulette. A variety of eateries are also part of the current entertainment complex. Jeff Gural owns Tioga Downs in Nichols, NY and Vernon Downs in Vernon, NY. Tioga Downs is beginning the process of transforming into a full casino gaming resort to serve the Southern Tier and beyond as well as expanding its facility and workforce to accommodate live casino gaming. In the last decade, Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs have created more than 700 family-sustaining jobs and donated millions to nonprofit organizations. For more information on Tioga Downs, please visit www.tiogadowns.com.

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Tioga Downs to host Tioga Central football championship banquet

The racino to help celebrate school's first state championship in grand fashion

Nichols, N.Y. – December 18, 2015 – Tioga Downs is set to host Tioga Central High School’s football team, staff, friends and family on Monday, December 21, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. to honor the school’s first Class D State Football Championship win.

The Tioga Central football championship has been five years in the making. Tioga was able to propel themselves to a 33-26 win over Ticonderoga High School and ended the season with a record of 12-1. Due to the long awaited win and overall accomplishments of the high school football program, Tioga Downs is pleased to host this event free of charge to help celebrate this significant milestone.

Tioga Downs is expecting around 240 people from Tioga Central at the celebratory banquet and the group will be joined by Jeff Gural, CEO of American Racing and Entertainment LLC, who has been asked by Tioga Central School District to speak to the students and their guests.

"We would like to congratulate the Tioga Central Tigers on their first New York State high school football championship, it is a well-deserved accomplishment for a wonderful group of student athletes. From the moment we walked in the doors of the school we could feel the energy, excitement and pride associated with being a Tioga Central Tiger. For these students to go from a period of uncertainty surrounding their cherished programs to the pinnacle event for high school sports is a terrific ending to a long journey this year. We look forward to being involved with Tioga Central for years to come and are proud of all the students, athletes, coaches, staff, volunteers and parents on a tremendous victory," commented Jeff Gural, CEO of American Racing and Entertainment, LLC.

Tioga Downs offers live harness racing, video lottery terminals, video poker and electronic roulette. A variety of eateries are also part of the current entertainment complex. Jeff Gural owns Tioga Downs in Nichols, NY and Vernon Downs in Vernon, NY. Tioga Downs is beginning the process of transforming into a full casino gaming resort to serve the Southern Tier and beyond as well as expanding its facility and workforce to accommodate live casino gaming. In the last decade, Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs have created more than 700 family-sustaining jobs and donated millions to nonprofit organizations. For more information on Tioga Downs, please visit www.tiogadowns.com.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Annual Tioga Downs Lighted Holiday Parade Set for Saturday

Tioga Downs Lighted Holiday Parade a one of a kind event for the Southern Tier and beyond

Nichols, N.Y. - December 16, 2015 - With less than two weeks before Christmas, officials at Tioga Downs are preparing for the second annual lighted holiday parade, which will be bigger and better than the inaugural parade last year.

The Tioga Downs lighted holiday parade, which is the only event of its kind on the East Coast, is scheduled to begin this Saturday, December 19th, at 8 p.m. and will include several floats and lighted fun for all to enjoy. Participants include local schools, the Tioga Central High School football team celebrating their first State championship, fire companies, troops, marching bands, mini wagons with horses, vintage cars and many more.

Given the exclusive, high profile nature of this event as well as the significant participation and attendance planned for this year, a special media VIP area will be set up where footage of the parade can be taken and interviews with the co-emcees, participants, attendees and Tioga Downs personnel can be given.

"We had such a great turnout at last year's event, and that led to an overwhelming response for something bigger and better this year," Tioga Downs President Tom Osiecki said. "We're pleased to announce several new additions to the parade that will make it even more engaging and fun for the entire family."

The parade will be co-emceed by WBNG meteorologist Howard Manges, WETM's Samantha LaRocca and long-time radio personality Tanya Wild. Wild will be perusing the crowds and float area during the parade with live commentary from the audience.

"Parade attendees won't be disappointed, we have a great lineup this year and we anticipate filling our grandstands as we did for last year's parade. This parade is free to attend and is a one of a kind, eye-opening experience for everyone, no matter your age," Osiecki added.

In addition to live harness racing, Tioga Downs offers video lottery terminals, video poker and electronic roulette. A variety of eateries are also part of the entertainment complex. Jeff Gural
owns Tioga Downs in Nichols, NY and Vernon Downs in Vernon, NY. Gural is in the process of preparing a new proposal to apply for the state's final full gaming license. Once awarded, Tioga Downs will expand its facility and workforce to accommodate live casino gaming. In the last decade, Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs have created more than 700 family-sustaining jobs. For more information on Tioga Downs, please visit www.tiogadowns.com.