CANNONSBURG Sandy’s Racing & Gaming crossed the finish line on its first official year last month, successfully operating and pouring revenue back into Boyd County and surrounding area for 365 consecutive days.
The $75 million project refurbished the western end of the previously near-vacant Kyova Mall, now home to Camp Landing and the state-of-the-art casino and sports betting casino, both breathing life into an area formerly only a sign of prosperous yesteryears.
Since holding its grand opening last fall, Sandy’s has gotten to work on upholding its promise of bringing “excitement, fun and community to Ashland, Kentucky and the Tri-State area.”
According to Sandy’s numbers, the casino has welcomed more than 370,000 patrons haling from 49 states and 10 countries in one years time and has recorded over $11 million in total jackpot winnings — pouring more than $1 million into federal taxes and nearly $227,000 in state taxes alone.
In a further breakdown of tax contributions, the casino reported $8.8 million towards sports wagering, HHR KY, state and foreign W2s and $345,471 in property taxes combined.
During its first year, Sandy’s reported giveaway and sweepstakes items totaled over $400,000, including a pontoon and camper giveaways and 48 local staycations.
In the spirit of continued giving, Sandy’s one-year contributions to the local community included over 2,000 pounds of canned foods donated to River Cities, boxes of toys to support Toys for Tots, and $3,000 in school supplies to domestic violence shelters.
In monetary charitable donations, Sandy’s tallied its proud support for breast cancer awareness, the Mountain State Reptile Rescue, Hope’s Place and the Huntington City Mission.