A racino built from scratch in Erie
MTR Gaming Group broke ground in October 2005 and opened the casino on February 28, 2007; the track followed on September 2 of that year. Unlike Pennsylvania’s other racinos, which grew out of older tracks, Presque Isle Downs was designed as a racino from day one, with the grandstand, simulcast area and casino under one roof beside Interstate 90.
Eldorado Resorts, which absorbed MTR, sold the property to Churchill Downs Incorporated in January 2019 for $178.9 million. The Kentucky company owns the Kentucky Derby’s home track and the TwinSpires betting brand, whose name now hangs over the Erie sportsbook. Simulcasting moved here from an older Peach Street site in 2007.
The 2026 Presque Isle Downs racing schedule
The 2026 Presque Isle Downs calendar has 76 live days, from late May into October. Most cards fall early in the week, with first posts at 12:30, 3:30 or 5 p.m. depending on the date. The track said there would be no live racing on Thursday, October 15. The stakes calendar for the season:
- Tom Ridge Stakes: June 15, $100,000, three-year-olds, six furlongs
- Karl Boyes Stakes: July 3, $100,000, three and up, six furlongs
- Lady Erie Stakes: July 20, $100,000, three-year-old fillies
- Satin and Lace Stakes: August 3, $100,000, fillies and mares
- Avery Whisman Memorial: August 10, $100,000, a mile and 70 yards
- Masters Stakes day: September 18, including the Grade 2 Masters ($300,000) and the Presque Isle Mile ($150,000)
- HBPA Stakes: October 12, $100,000, fillies and mares
Masters night is the high point of the racing schedule. The Grade 2 Masters, for fillies and mares at six and a half furlongs, shares the card with the Presque Isle Mile, the Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial Juvenile, the Presque Isle Debutante and the Power By Far for Pennsylvania-breds. Pennsylvania-breds also get the Malvern Rose and Princess of Sylmar.
Racing on Tapeta and how to bet
The one-mile oval is Tapeta Footings, a waxed blend of sand, rubber and fibre. It was the first Tapeta track in the United States and the Northeast’s first synthetic course longer than a mile. Synthetic tracks drain quickly and tend to produce steadier footing in wet weather than dirt, which suits a venue exposed to Lake Erie weather.
Betting runs on a United Tote hub. The minimum straight bet is $2, exactas and doubles take $1 part-wheels and boxes, trifectas and pick-threes to pick-fives start at 50 cents, and superfectas at 10 cents. Takeout is 17 percent on win, place and show. The pari-mutuel guide explains these pools, and simulcasts from other tracks run all year.
The Presque Isle Downs casino floor
In August 2026 the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board counted an average of 1,525 slot machines and 31 table games, all banked games such as blackjack, roulette and craps, with no live poker. A high-limit room sits off the main casino floor, and the TwinSpires Sportsbook offers big screens and self-service betting kiosks for sports and racing.
LBV Steakhouse is the sit-down room, Churchill’s Bourbon and Brew pairs a bourbon list with pub food, and The INCafé covers quick meals, plus several bars and lounges. Friday happy hours in October 2026 include live music from 5 to 7 p.m. The casino side is entirely 21+, a rule the property applies to the racing areas as well.
Getting there and nearby racinos
The property lies at 8199 Perry Highway, just south of Exit 27 on Interstate 90, a few miles from downtown Erie and Presque Isle State Park on the lake. The track’s own website lists local hotels and area attractions for visitors staying overnight, as nothing on the site itself offers rooms.
Hollywood Casino at The Meadows near Pittsburgh is the closest Pennsylvania racino, about two hours south on Interstate 79. Across the Ohio line, Northfield Park near Cleveland runs harness racing with video lottery terminals. The Pennsylvania overview compares all six state tracks, and Penn National is the other Pennsylvania thoroughbred track that races outside the Philadelphia area.
Online play under the Presque Isle license
Pennsylvania ties every online casino to a land-based certificate. The one held by PID, LLC now covers bet365, live in the state since July 19, 2024, after BetAmerica and TwinSpires Casino used it earlier. Online play is for adults of 21 inside Pennsylvania, and a fixed budget is sensible. The Pennsylvania state page covers the details.