Batavia Downs - Batavia, NY 14020

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8315 Park Road
Batavia, NY, 14020
(585) 343-1423

Hours:

Sunday - Saturday 8am - 4am

About:
If you're looking for the best gaming experience in Western New York there is only one place to go: Batavia Downs Gaming. Batavia Downs Gaming has a variety of ways to be part of the winning experience. Join our Player’s Club and take advantage of daily promotions as well as nightly drawings for Free Play, Cash or other great prizes. Find and befriend us on social networking sites for promotions and offers! You can also visit BataviaDownsGaming.com We have over 776 of the hottest and most in-demand games, with two enclosed smoking rooms and progressive jackpots! Some of the hottest pop culture gaming machines are on our gaming floor including Betty Boop, Sex and the City, Wheel of Fortune, The Hangover, NASCAR, CSI, Michael Jackson, Family Guy and Dolly Parton. Admission and Self Parking are always FREE. Valet Parking for just $3. Handicapped, Diamond and Platinum members may valet park for free. 4 great restaurants reside on site: Enjoy fine dining at The Clubhouse Restaurant or watch your favorite games on any of our 30+ HDTV's in Thurman Thomas' 34 Rush Restaurant. Fine Italian food can be found in Fortuna’s and the Homestretch Grill is open late for a quick bite to eat. Live Harness Racing runs from late July until early December, so be sure to stop by and see America’s Oldest Lighted Harness Race Track! Interested in booking your group, or just a fun-filled location for a party? Batavia Downs Gaming can accommodate groups as small as 20 and as large as 800. Bookings include Free Play and other offers. Be sure to contact Mary Bucceri at 585-343-3750 ext. 468 for more information. Did you know that Western Regional Off Track Betting is a Public Benefit Corporation? As part of Western Regional Off-Track Betting, Batavia Downs Gaming has helped contribute millions to New York State education and the 15 counties and 2 cities it serves. Since the inception of OTB in the early 70s, and continuing with the opening of the Batavia Downs Gaming in May of 2005, Western OTB has contributed Hundreds of Millions of Dollars to NY State Education, the pari-mutuel racing industry and revenues net of expenses are distributed to the Counties of Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Oswego, Schulyer, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming and the Cities of Rochester and Buffalo. These contributions help lower property taxes and contribute to community improvements. Batavia Downs Gaming is located less than one mile from Thruway Exit 48, just minutes from Buffalo, Niagara Falls & Rochester and is open daily from 8AM-4AM. For more information call 585-343-3750 or visit BataviaDownsGaming.com. You must be 18 years or older to play video gaming machines and to wager on horses. Please play responsibly.

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Batavia Downs: No. 8 in What Made Genesee County Famous

Original Source: The Batavian

Originally published in The Batavian, Nov. 20, 2008, by Philip Anselmo.

There's really no way to say it better than Pat Weissend:

"Traffic backed up at the New York State Thruway as thousands of people from the east and the west merged to spend their entertainment dollars on a chance to make more money at one of Genesee County’s best known attractions: Batavia Downs!"

So it is that Batavia Downs lands at No. 8 in the Holland Land Office Museum's countdown of the 25 Things That Made Genesee County Famous.

The harness racing track is the oldest night-time pari-mutuel track in North America. Batavia Downs opened on Friday, September 20, 1940 at 8:20 p.m. to an estimated crowd of 2,500 people. A total of $629 was bet on the first race and over $10,000 was bet on the first card.

The opening was the dream of William “Lefty” Goldberg and others who, as shareholders in the Monroe - Genesee Breeders Association, chose Batavia because of its location between Rochester and Buffalo. The Monroe - Genesee Breeders Association is the predecessor of the Monroe - Genesee Racing Association. The first season’s attendance was 25,935 people with a total bet of $310,790. The following year, attendance and betting doubled, but racing was canceled in 1942 and 1943 due to travel restrictions and gas rationings.

For more on Batavia Downs and how it made us famous, be sure to visit the Holland Land Office Museum Web site. While your there, you can peruse the other 17 "things" that have so far made the list. You can also hit up the museum's blog to leave your two cents about what should make it in the top seven.

Image of Batavia Downs program from 1964 taken from the Holland Land Office Museum Web site.

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