In 2010, Tri-State Casino & Resort changed its name to Mardi Gras Casino & Resort. The table games now offered include blackjack, poker, roulette, and others. In August 2007, Kanawha County voters narrowly approved table games after a contentious campaign. In 2007, the legislature authorized local option voting on allowing an expansion of gambling at the state’s racetracks.
The $12 million Mardi Gras addition included a new simulcast betting lounge, a full-service restaurant, a cafe, four bars, two entertainment stages, a ‘‘high-rollers’’ section, and a conference area. The facility underwent a major expansion that was completed in December 2002. The track installed 400 video machines in 1994 under a license granted by the West Virginia Lottery Commission. Over the years, the facility in Nitro has been expanded and improved as additional forms of gambling have become legal in West Virginia. Mardi Gras Casino & Resort opened as Tri-State Greyhound Park in May 1985.
