Century Downs Racetrack and Casino Hosted World Driving Championship Event
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, Aug.15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Century Casinos, Inc. (NASDAQ Capital Market®: CNTY) announced today that Century Downs Racetrack and Casino in North Calgary, Alberta, Canada hosted the first leg of the 2017 World Driving Championship on Saturday, August 12. This event brought together 11 of the finest standardbred drivers from 10 countries competing in five races at five Canadian racetracks in seven days.
One of the largest crowds in the three-year history of Century Downs contributed to the festive event. Food and beverage revenue increased 150% over the same Saturday race day in 2016. Wagering was up 25% and racing fans also helped push casino revenues ahead by 29%.
This was the first time a leg of the World Driving Championship was held in Western Canada and Alberta. Century Downs along with the Alberta Standardbred Horse Association (ASHA) and Horse Racing Alberta (HRA) made the successful bid to host the first leg in January of 2016.
This also marked the first time that Australia and New Zealand wagered on Century Downs product through TABCORP of New South Wales, Australia. The Australians sent an on air host and handicapper to the event in order to provide familiarity to their punters.
After the five World Driving Championship races at Century Downs, Marcus Miller from the USA leads the way with 57 points after finding the winners' circle twice. Canadian James MacDonald kept pace in second with 50 points and also with two wins in the competition. Sitting close in third is Australian Shane Graham with 48 points.
Subsequent legs of the World Driving Championship will be held at Mohawk Raceway and Georgian Downs in Ontario, Hippodrome 3R in Quebec, and the final leg will be held at Redshores Raceway in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on August 18, 2017.
About Century Casinos, Inc.:
Century Casinos, Inc. is an international casino entertainment company that operates worldwide. The Company owns and operates Century Casino & Hotels in Cripple Creek and Central City, Colorado, and in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and the Century Casino in Calgary and in St. Albert, Alberta, Canada. Through its Austrian subsidiary, Century Casinos Europe GmbH ("CCE"), the Company owns Saw Close Casino Ltd. in Bath, UK, and holds a 66.6% ownership interest in Casinos Poland Ltd., the owner and operator of six casinos in Poland. The Company, through CCE, also holds a 75% ownership interest in both Century Downs Racetrack and Casino, which began operations in the north metropolitan area of Calgary, Alberta, Canada in April 2015, and Century Bets!, which began operating the pari-mutuel off-track horse betting network in Southern Alberta, Canada in May 2015. The Company owns Century Mile Racetrack and Casino, which has all necessary approvals, is currently under construction in the south metropolitan area of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and is expected to begin operating in late 2018. The Company operates 14 ship-based casinos onboard ships with four cruise ship owners. The Company manages the operations of the casino at the Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort and Casino. The Company, through CCE, also owns a 7.5% interest in, and provides consulting services to, Mendoza Central Entretenimientos S.A., a company that provides gaming-related services to Casino de Mendoza in Mendoza, Argentina. The Company continues to pursue other international projects in various stages of development.
For more information about Century Casinos, visit our website at www.cnty.com. Century Casinos' common stock trades on The NASDAQ Capital Market® under the symbol CNTY.
This release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of the management of Century Casinos based on information currently available to management. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding future results of operations, operating efficiencies, synergies and operational performance, the prospects for new projects and projects in development, including the cost of and timing for completion and opening of the Bath, England project, the ability to obtain regulatory and governmental approvals for the project, and its ability to provide an attractive return on investment, debt repayment, investments in joint ventures, outcomes of legal proceedings and plans for our casinos and our Company. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include, among others, the risks described in the section entitled "Risk Factors" under Item 1A in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. Century Casinos disclaims any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by it or on its behalf.
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