Tioga Downs Casino Resort and Watkins Glen International announce multi-year partnership

Continued tourism to the Southern Tier overarching theme for both properties

Nichols, N.Y. – February 1, 2019 – Tioga Downs Casino Resort and Watkins Glen International announced a multi-year partnership today, making Tioga Downs the ‘Official Casino’ of Watkins Glen International.  At a press reception in the Tioga Downs ballroom today, Watkins Glen International President Michael Printup as well as Tioga Downs President Charles Otto discussed the partnership and the benefits it will have for the Southern Tier.  Watkins Glen International and Tioga Downs will be working together to expand the region’s tourism reach with packages that complement each other’s properties and New York State attractions in general.  These include bringing motor coach groups and tours from other areas so guests can experience all that the Southern Tier has to offer.

“Today is a great day for the Southern Tier with two of the region’s premier destinations coming together to provide additional opportunities to draw and attract visitors from outside the area. Watkins Glen International is a historic organization that has a long-standing reputation of quality and tradition and Tioga Downs is proud to partner with them,” Tioga Downs President Charles Otto said.

As part of the multi-year deal as the Official Casino of Watkins Glen International, Tioga Downs will have the title sponsorship of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race taking place on Saturday, June 29, 2019 during Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen race weekend at Watkins Glen International. The race will now be named the “Tioga Downs 240,” the 240 represents the length of the race in minutes.

“All of us at Watkins Glen International are thrilled with this announcement of Tioga Downs Casino Resort as our ‘Official Casino’,” WGI President Michael Printup said. “For us, the ability to work with another one of the true drivers in terms of regional tourism and economic development, it checks off all of the boxes that you want to see in a partnership. We are excited to grow this into something very meaningful for both sides, and for the Southern Tier at-large.”

In addition, the Daytona 500 viewing party will be hosted at Tioga Downs on Sunday, February 17, 2019.  The Daytona 500 is a 500-mile-long Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series motor race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.  Admission to the watch party will be free and will include interactive games as well as food and drink specials while the big race is broadcast throughout the property.

“We are excited to partner with a great group like Watkins Glen International for the benefit of all those inside and outside of the region.  When I first announced our intent to apply for a casino license here at Tioga Downs, one of the overarching themes was to partner with local organizations for the collective benefit of the area and its residents.  We feel that this partnership with Watkins Glen International is representative of that commitment and both groups will collectively work to bring increased tourism to the region,” Tioga Downs owner Jeff Gural said.

About Tioga Downs

Tioga Downs Casino Resort, which opened in 2006, offers live harness racing, casino gaming, restaurants, golf and live entertainment.  Jeff Gural owns Tioga Downs in Nichols, New York as well as Vernon Downs in Vernon, New York.  Since opening the new casino in December 2016, Tioga Downs has expanded its gaming offerings to include 944 slot machines, 32 table games and a luxurious 12-table poker room, which is now affiliated with the World Series of Poker.  The Tioga Downs Hotel, which spans six stories and boasts 160 rooms, an events center and many other exciting amenities, officially opened in December 2017. Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs have created more than 1,000 family-sustaining jobs and donated millions to nonprofit organizations. For more information on Tioga Downs, please visit www.tiogadowns.com.