Hollywood Casino at The Meadows Pennsylvania Review for December 2024

Though I live on the opposite end of the state, I often drive to Pittsburgh to visit my cousin, Katie. Like me, she’s a gaming enthusiast. And, luckily for us, there’s a sprawling 350,000-square-foot casino and race track less than an hour away.

The Hollywood Casino at The Meadows, formerly The Meadows Casino and Racetrack, features over 2,500 slot machines, more than 65 table games, a 14-table poker room, plenty of dining options, and even a bowling centre. 

While they don’t host Thoroughbred races, The Meadows has been an operating harness racing facility since 1963. Personally, I think horses pulling two-wheeled carts is much more exciting.

Have you ever wanted to swing by the Hollywood Casino at The Meadows? If so, read my honest and in-depth review.  

The Hollywood Casino at The Meadows is located at 210 Racetrack Road in Washington, Pennsylvania, just 40 minutes outside Pittsburgh. Drivers coming from Pittsburgh can take the Racetrack Road Exit (Exit 41) off Interstate 79. The brightly-lit facility is hard to miss.

There is free parking available in front of the hotel and in the covered parking garage. Visitors can easily get to the garage via a walkway that is also sheltered from the elements. However, I did notice that handicapped parking was limited. The Meadows also offers free shuttle services to all hotels along Racetrack Road, of which there are around a dozen.

Speaking of hotels, there is a Hyatt Hotel on site, which is certainly a convenience. Just be aware though that, although it is connected via a walkway, it is also a relatively long way from it to the casino.

The casino is 100% non-smoking, which I really appreciate. Due to its massive size, guests might feel overwhelmed as they first step inside. In fact, The Meadows boasts one of the largest casino floors on the East Coast. There are thousands of slot machines and over 60 table games. Despite the size and crowd, I was impressed that every inch of the place was clean and well-maintained.

In addition to its casino, The Meadows also has numerous restaurants, a 24-lane bowling alley, and an upscale steakhouse with views of the track. The H Lounge features live entertainment acts, with free live music on Friday and Saturday nights.

The Meadows casino has more than 65 table games, more than 2,500 slot machines, and a 14-table poker room with a sportsbook.

It is also a non-smoking venue. That is usually an issue that divides players as some enjoy to smoke while playing and others do not want to be around smoke whilst they play. Therefore, whether you consider it a positive or a negative depends entirely upon what you enjoy. There are outdoor spaces for smokers to light up, of course. 

I loved the endless variety of slot games at Holly Casino at The Meadows. All of the video and poker slots have a convenient ticket-in/ticket-out feature (or TITO if you prefer), which allowed me to move easily from one machine to the next. That TITO also gets your winnings into you hand quicker than fast payout online casinos, by the way. 

Some of the casino’s most popular slot machines are 5 Dragon Gold, Dollar Storm, Big Hot Flaming Pots, and Buffalo Gold Collection. They also have classic slots like Red Hot Tamales and Sun and Moon. Generally, though, with more than 2,500 slots from which to choose, the chances are that whatever your favourite game is, it will be here. 

The only downside was that it was difficult for me to withdraw money since the ATMs were few and far between. Be advised, though, that the ATMs I could find had a withdrawal fee of around $5. 

Players who are feeling exceptionally lucky can visit The Meadows’ High Limit Slot room. Here, you can play slot and video poker machines with much bigger stakes. High-rolling visitors will love the Lightning Cash machines, where they can place up to $500 bets.  

I was also impressed with the large selection of table games. You can play roulette, craps, blackjack, baccarat, and more. There was certainly nothing I’d expect to see that I didn’t. There are also high-limit table rooms that offer 12 games, including blackjack and roulette.

Since we visited on a Saturday night, we had some trouble finding seats at the table games. Once some spots opened up at a craps table, we quickly snagged them. Since there are literally thousands of slot machines on the casino floor, we were fine finding open ones. I played Dollar Storm and Cha-Ching, while Katie stuck to Wicked Winnings 2

We skipped the poker room entirely since neither of us enjoy playing it.

The Meadows casino, as is standard these days, offers live and electronic poker, including Ultimate X and Keno games. Their poker room has 14 tables and is open daily, though times vary throughout the week. Try your hand at Texas Hold ‘Em, Omaha Hi, or Omaha Hi/Low. The Meadows’ Bad Beat Progressive Jackpot allows players to win as much as $30,000 with four twos.

Sports bettors are far from excluded too? Put your game face on and watch all the action unfold on the sportsbooks’ many 23-inch ultra-high-definition TVs, all while enjoying delicious meals and brews. Guests can watch and wager on UFC Pay-Per-View fights without spending cover or viewing charges. The sportsbook has 40 luxury seats for comfort and 18 self-bet kiosks for convenience.

It's not quite up to the level offered by the best new casinos, but it's close enough. 

For those who want to stay overnight, the newly renovated on-site Hyatt Place Hollywood Casino & Racetrack Pittsburgh South has two-queen-bed and king-size rooms. It also has a 670-square-foot king-bed suite. 

All rooms have mini-fridges, coffee makers, microwaves, 42-inch high-def televisions, and free Wi-Fi. The hotel also has a 24-hour gym, heated indoor pool, and a business centre. Check-in is at 3 pm and check-out is at noon.

Staff: One thing that stood out to me was The Meadows’ staff. The cocktail servers, bartenders, and table dealers were warm and helpful.  Our cocktail waitress, Kim, treated us like VIPs when my cousin and I played the slots. She was friendly, fast, and attentive. Although we weren’t hitting it big on the machines, Kim made our experience enjoyable.

The table dealers were also, for the most part, wonderful and seemed to really know their stuff. Katie is not an avid craps player, and the dealer took the time to explain the rules to her. He never talked down to us or made us feel dumb.

However, another dealer at the baccarat table was standoffish and told a player not to use their cell phone. Experienced gamblers will know, of course, that security-conscious casinos consider tables cell phone-free zones, but it could have been dealt with a little better.  

Food: After we played craps, Katie and I wandered around the food court trying to decide where we wanted to eat. The Hollywood Casino at The Meadows has many dining options, including gourmet burgers, steaks, and Asian dishes.

We finally chose to eat at The Pub. This laidback bar/restaurant has a full menu and dozens of local craft beers on tap. The restaurant also has a four-lane VIP room and a banquet space. I ordered the boneless wings, which I highly recommend.

Want something fancier for date night? Visit Embers Lounge for upscale comfort food or Bistecca, an award-winning steakhouse on the Sky Level.

Entertainment: The Meadows’ crown jewel is its harness racetrack. Home to the ADIOS race, the track features a covered grandstand, VIP boxes, and a simulcast viewing area open year-round. The races primarily happen on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays starting at 1 pm.

Visitors can watch live entertainment at the H Lounge, including musical acts and comedians. They can also bowl at Meadows Lanes. The facility has 24 lanes, including four lanes in the VIP suites. Just keep in mind that lanes are on a first-come, first-served basis. The Meadows Lanes does not take lane reservations. 

The Meadows also has accessible rooms and built-in accessibility features for guests who need them. 

Additionally, the casino floor is well laid out an easy to get around for those with mobility issues, so few visitors should have any real problems. 

The Hollywood Casino at The Meadows has exciting new promotions every month. PENN Play promotion players can win cash, cars, and trips. They can also earn loyalty rewards redeemed for PENN Cash or hotel and dining discounts.Players ages 55+ enjoy especially deep promotional discounts. 

Ongoing promotions for existing members are not easy to find, even at the best online casinos, so this rewards club definitely deserves a lot of respect. 

Meanwhile, there is an exclusive PENN Heroes benefits for eligible active-duty military members, veterans, and first responders that offer special events and discounts. 

The Meadows offers loyalty programs and a five-tiered Player’s Club, comprising of Club, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Owners levels. Club members must earn enough qualifying points within six months to advance tiers by playing multiple games, including video poker and table games. 

Katie and I visited The Hollywood Casino at The Meadows on a Saturday evening. Because it was the weekend, the casino was pretty crowded and loud. However, the floor, slot machines, and table games were clean. 

Dinner at The Pub was relaxing and chill. Though it was a Saturday evening, we didn’t wait long to be seated.

When we visited, there was no racing going on. However, we did take a stroll around the track’s bleachers and visited the simulation room, which shows races from around the country.

Generally, the atmosphere was just on the right side of the line between jovial and rowdy – just the right amount of lively. We had no safety concerns at all and there was a strong enough security presence to deal with anything that might crop up.

During the week and earlier times of the day, of course, things will be a lot quieter.   

⭐ Standout Moment

My favourite moment at The Meadows was feeling very well taken care of by Kim, our cocktail waitress, and the craps dealer – though I unfortunately forgot his name. Despite it being a crowded Saturday evening, they both took the time to make our experience fantastic.

All in all, my time at The Hollywood Casino at The Meadows was enjoyable. Though the casino and restaurants were busy, we felt comfortable and secure. It was also easy to find it and park our car. For people who dislike crowds, it’s better to go to The Meadows on a weekday.

If you’re looking for a fun night out, I definitely recommend visiting The Hollywood Casino at The Meadows. There are games for everyone. And if you don’t like slots or table games, you can always bet on the ponies or bowl.

It’s just a very solid all-rounder and one I’d definitely visit again.

🧭 How to Get There

If you’re driving to The Hollywood Casino at The Meadows from Pittsburgh, take Exit 64A off Interstate 376 West to merge onto Instate 79 South. From there, take Exit 41 toward Racetrack Road to Meadows Drive.

There is a free shuttle service to all sites along Racetrack Road.

Not from the area? The Meadows is located near dozens of must-see places, including the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, Laurel Caverns, Washington Wild Things Park, and the Fort Pitt Museum.

Guests who love a good deal can shop for hundreds of brands at the Tanger Outlets.