THEY DO NOT ALLOW FREE PLAY (WHICH IS MINIMAL TO BEGIN WITH) TO BE USED ON THEIR VIDEO POKER MACHINES. ALSO THE HAVE NO 5 CENT POKER MACHINES. THE BUFFET IS OVERPRICED AND FOOD IS SO-SO. THE MACHINES ARE VERY TIGHT.

The worst experience I have ever encountered in casino gambling. You can go over a hundred spins on a slot machine without a return. The atmosphere is dull and you will not see very many happy players on their way out. Save your money and go anywhere else.

I rated everything a 1, because zero isn't an option. we have been coming to this casino since it has opened, and it was ok for the first couple weeks, and then it got real tight. I play the $1 slots, and play max, which is $3 a pull, most times, it will give you a $50 hit, only to take $100 without paying anything out. I know casinos aren't in business to lose money, but to keep people interested, and coming back, you may want to start paying out a little more, can't wait for Ohio casinos to open, I'll be done with this one than.
another thing I don't like about the casino, is on busy nights, when there is one person playing multiple machines, for min. bets, the staff doesn't seem to care about it. a few months ago, we even got one of the people in our group get kicked out of the casino, because a person that was sitting on a slot machine, broke, wouldn't move to allow others to play the machine, because they spent hundreds of dollars in the machine, and won nothing, when we got the staff involved to have them removed from the machine, if they were not gonna play, they put in $2 in the machine and said we were harassing them for the machine, unfortunately, since the staff knew this person, we got kicked out, and they were allowed to stay and play.
players club is horrible, drinks are watered down too much, customer service sucks, and the whole staff there sucks, good luck trying to track down a hostess to get a drink, and if you do, be ready to sit there and wait for 15-20 mins.
save your money, and go somewhere else.
I hope Ohio puts this casino out of business when they open, we're getting close, times a ticking.

When I go into a casino, the first thing that I observe is the atmosphere/environment. Before sitting down to play a table game or slot, I like to walk around the casino just to catch the overall vibe of the place. I truly believe that your first vibe of a casino relates to the experience you're going to have.
Unfortunately, the my first vibe of Presque Isle Downs & Casino was not a good one and my experience there turned out to be just that. The atmosphere had no excitement whatsoever. The crowd was small for a Thursday evening as compared to other casinos I've been to. I noticed people walking around like zombies (doom and gloom facial expressions) which gave me the impression that the casino was sending a lot of people home broke. Most people were on the penny slots and there were a lot of empty or closed table games.

The slots were very, very, tight. I lost a very quick $100 and it appeared that hardly no one was winning at the slots at all. Don't get me wrong, I know that Casinos weren't built to lose money, but, you often see someone winning at some point. I didn't hardly see anyone winning, except the occasional $10 on penny slots.
Table games are table games so you really can't blame it on the casino. However, the dealers seemed disinterested and some were even mean. In general, there didn't appear to be a lot of interest for tables. I played Blackjack and broke even on the night. I was disappointed that they had only one Baccarat table which was a $25 minimum. No wonder no one played it the whole 6 hours I was there.

Service was average. Cocktail waitress only came around occasionally. Casinos should follow the Vegas model and provide free drinks for gamblers. The food options were very limited and the buffet was closed....wow! As far as comps are concerned, for as much money as I gambled (and got rated for), I wasn't offered anything. Not even a free drink. They really want you to spend a ton of money on the slots and they'll reward you with free slot play. What good is that when the slots are tight?

I will not be returning to PI. There are much better casinos in PA, and I hate to say it, WV as well (which is surprising).

I'll make this as quick and straightforward as possible. The dealers are rude (I was once laughed at to the point of tears after splitting AA and receiving 22), the service is sub-par at best, and your chances of winning are next to none. If you stop in here the ONLY thing worth witnessing is their up stairs poker room.

One person said that Presque Isle gives the worst Comps...I can't agree with that. My hubby and I went last summer, and I probably spent about $200 while gambling. The following month I was given, in free play, $60.00 for each week In August. I have NEVER EVER gotten that much in free play, from any other PA casino. The Meadows is so cheap in Free Play, I don't even get anymore, nor do they send me a monthly calendar. I even email them and was told I have to "Earn" a calendar by spending so much, needless to say #1 - how do I know what's going on at The Meadows without a calendar? and #2 - that's why I wave to them from my car window when we drive PAST them on our way to Wheeling Island. Anyways, I'm talking about Presque Isle now. When we didn't go the month of August, I was then sent a calender book where I was to get $40 a week in free play. I still think this was great. As far as PI goes, I think the casino is too small, 0r at least it feels that way, and it feels dirty. The employees at the Player's Club were just plain rude with attitude. We never did eat or drink there, and there's no hotel there, but we did stay at the Red Roof Inn, and ate at McDonalds up the road. I wish other PA casino's would give the great Free Play PI did.

I play slots to relax . Playing at PI lately is like living in an apartment complex with thin walls and all of your neighbors are drunk college kids blasting their stereo. All of the attention seems to be on the table games. Buffet even worse than before. Sandwich shop closes whenever they want to. Been going to Salamanca instead. Better food, less claustrophobic, and they keep the music turned down. Good luck with your table games, PID. I vote with my wallet.

This was by far the worst slot experience I've ever had. I lost five hundred dollars in an hour and a half an I wasn't betting the Max. I was playing a dollar a pull. The service was the best thing about the place. I won't be back. Save your money.

This is owned by the same greedy group that still has control of Mountaineer in West Va. Stay away from both places! I don't know how they sleep at night. If you see ANY good reviews, they probably came from the owners staff. Spend your money elsewhere!

Worst comps of any casino I've ever been to. Worst buffet. No Poker. No free drinks. Tight, very tight slots. Terrible seating for patrons of live races. No grandstand, or even seating. When Ohio casinos open PI is in deep doodoo. If Salamanca was 20 miles closer, even Erie folks wouldn't go to PI . I can't believe people drive more than 10 miles to get to this casino.

If you are from OH, congrats you get all the perks. If you are from Erie and patronized the place since they were open, you get nothing. Was loyal to the place since it opened. Then new management came in and shifted all promotions to OH residents and an Asian market. Us Erie folks get nothing! The staff is friendly, but nobody really looks happy to be working there. The dealers look bored and do nothing to excite customers to play. The food in the buffet is not good...not good at all. I live 10 minutes away, but drive and hour and a half to Salamanca with my money

Food, drink, hotel, and tables rated 1 because did not use. This is a very nice, clean casino and I was very impressed with the staff and especially customer service. As a matter of fact, the only person who did not smile when ask a question was the players club gal. But, saying that, I must agree with the previous entries.

The slots are the tightest I have seen in a long time. I played about 5 different machines and none payed anything to speak of. I played Vibrant 7 for quite a while and even though I got 3 bonuses, I won nothing higher than $5.40. I did get one big big bonus and won $40.00 but had already put in that and more. I did not see anyone winning anything to speak of and that is sad. Since this casino is so tight I have to wonder what effect the Ohio casinos will have on it. Probably not good.

Don't get me wrong, I do not go to Casinos thinking I will win big but a little never hurts. I would probably go back if in the area but would not make a special trip.

I keep going back to Presque Isle only because its close to Ohio, but I should know better. If you want to drive and give away your money, at least get something in return for it. Go on a vacation and spend it. I was there for about 3 hours and heard on 4 announcements of jackpots won. All four were under on the average of $1200 or so. With the number of people there, this was a disgrace. People on anything from quarter machines to the $5 and $10 dollar machines were looking miserable as the slots just kept sucking in the money. The atmosphere was somber as nobody seemed to be winning. I should have known that the slots were STILL tight as the look on peoples faces leaving were not of joy. The owner has been noted for resetting slots at Mountaineer, so why should he be any different here? Save your hard earned money and take it to another casino if you really want to gamble.

I was at the casino yesterday and had the worst dinner i ever had at a buffet. The price of $16.95 is just taking advantage of people. I have eaten in the buffet before the change and the food wasn't bad. I will never eat there again.

I stopped by on a Monday afternoon to checkout the Blackjack at this casino. I would have to rate the Blackjack table as don't play at this point. The house is cutting four decks out of an 8 deck shoe. This not only shortens the game, it also makes the shoe less predictable for the player over the run of the shoe. The house is not allowing even money payouts on the insurance check when the dealer has an Ace showing. This simply shows how little the house understands about the game since the player can get the same result by taking insurance, it just makes the whole thing take longer.

Dealers were clearly learning on the job. They were uncomfortable handling the cards and chips. They made frequent mistakes counting hands, and just generally needed help from the experienced players at the table to get things right.

Finally, the quality of play of the players at the table was very low. I saw many, many, many player mistakes in my four hours at the tables. Standing on 13 against a 10. Hitting 14 against a 16. Standing on soft 17. Not doubling 11 against a 6.

Lest anyone suspect sour grapes, I walked away a winner adding about 20% to my bankroll in four hours.

Even though they're authorized to do so, Presque Isle Downs will NOT HAVE standard poker tables.

They will have practically all games that you play against the house. Roulette, Craps, Blackjack, Texas Hold'em "Bonus", etc. etc.

There will not be Limit or No-Limit Texas Hold'em poker, or Omaha, etc.

I am saying this about the July 8th table games launch.

One employee (of about five I asked) did say they have "plans" in the future to do so.

As far as slots go, Video Poker machines are few and far between. Though I did double my money on the one I could get my hands on.

Awful. Spent thousands and thousands there to win nothing. Have never seen anyone win big. Food is nothing to write home about. My advice would be to go to New York casinos. At least their slots pay out- these do not- they are sooooo tight they squeak.

Slots seem as loose as any I've played, and comps are good for me.

I only go there about once a month, but get an extra half week added on. The help is friendly, but the buffet is mediocre and closed early a couple of times when I was there, the clubhouse upstairs is quite good.

The music is way too loud and geared to 14-year-old's taste (not many 14-yr-olds there).
You have a few machines that are very loud, but the ones that I usually play are virtually silent. Turn down the crap music and adjust the volume on ALL machines to a uniform level

To the person from Erie that needs to do his homework! First off, the slots ARE extremely tight and trying a winning strategy doesn't make a difference when the majority of the machines aren't paying. Moving to another machine is just putting money in a machine that isn't paying either. So, you end up playing musical slots and don't win anything.
The players club is a joke as I've spent hundreds on the slots to find out that I have a $1.27 that I can put towards the buffet. The food is average and nothing to brag about. The drinks are scarce and only when you can flag a hostess down that seem to come around every hour or so and take 20 minutes to get back to you to keep you on a non winning machine.
On the up side; I have won some decent amounts but then the next 6-7 visits I come home with nothing. And duh, you stay in business by paying out once in a while not ripping off players with the tightest slots that I've ever played. This is how you get return business! How many of you that played there have only heard the sounds of the machines raking in the money and nobody screaming that they won?
When Ohio does get their act together and finally get the slots, Erie will be hurting and I suspect that the owner will sell and move to another part of the US and try the same tight slot strategy some where else.
People seem to come back in hopes that the slots have loosened up and just MAYBE the management is getting less greedy. Plus to Ohio gamblers, it is the only close casino in the area.
To sum it up: Mileage on your car to drive there only to give up your money, the tightest slots around, the smokey atmosphere and a terrible players club equals a very bad place to take your money.

Staff was very friendly and helpful. Had dinner at the buffet on Monday - $14.95!!! Yikes!. Food was typical buffet fare and quality.

The 'droid dealers are a little strange, but you can get used to it. Soft drinks are free, but you pay for all the others. Beers are between $2.25 and $3.00 - usual.

Go and have fun! We'd go back. Nice place. Pretty clean.

The first thing that you notice about Presque Isle Downs is the giant landfill right by the Casino so depending on which way the wind is blowing you might get a nice smell on the way in from the parking lot. This Casino is totally setup the wrong way. They have the smoking section right up front by the entrance to the Casino. When you go in you are overcome with cigarette smoke and can see a fog in the air. The ventilation system is obviously inadequate. I have seen cleaner air out in packed bars that allow smoking. Be aware that all of your clothes will be reeking of smoke by the time that you leave.

Once through the cloud of smoke, the slot machines are the same as at any other Casino except I never won or saw anybody else win the entire time I was there. Also the machines were very tight and packed close together, it's worse than any other casino that I have ever been to. The Video BlackJack dealers are a joke for anyone who has ever played BlackJack with a real dealer at any other casino. The staff was nice. The food was average.

Overall I would not visit this casino again and I wouldn't recommend that anyone waste a trip to come here. They totally messed up this one. There are MUCH better casinos in Salamanca, NY, Niagara Falls, and in Windsor.

this place has very very tight slots. dont get much play for your money.

the comps arent worth hardly anything. and the food is below average.

the workers are nice and friendly. this place is thriving now ,because of lots of ohio customers.

once ohio gets gambling, they will have to loosen things up.

I have won some large jackpots on the dollar machines. The slot machines are VERY tight and the players club doesn't give you very much.

My husband and I both have been gold members for over a year and the most free slot play we have ever gotten is 54 dollars. We do get free buffets, hotdogs, and 2 drinks an evening.



They have done some nasty things in regards to progressive jackpots. Example is

big al's 200K pot. They stopped the progressive feature and no one has

won the pot. These machines get a huge amount of play and it is hard to

believe no one has won.



We are from Ohio. This is the closest casino to our home 1.5 hours. If Ohio

does get gambling, we probably won't go to this casino because it is so VERY

TIGHT.

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The slots at Presque Isle are fairly tight at the lower denominations, though you seem to get slightly more play for your buck in the $1 and above machines. Ultimately, I would have to agree with the majority of these reviews assessments that they are not as good as almost every other casino I have been to.



Technically, this casino is not currently allowed to have table games of the genuine variety, so there are video proxies which attempt to fill the gap, but as any of you who have played table games and enjoyed them for their sociable nature will know, the large screen that has a quasi-realistic dealer does not stack up to the real thing. I hear that there is a possibility of table games coming to the casino, but for now, that's nothing but a rumor.



The customer service is pretty good. The staff with which I've dealt has always been patient and helpful.



The player's club, although easy to join, is not a very generous package to the casino's loyal players. Essentially each machine has a "countdown" which starts at 300, this value goes down based on how much is bet and only when the countdown hits zero do you get a point.

Most of the lower stakes machines will take anywhere from 4 to 6 spins to earn a point and the points are worth about one fourth of a penny each. This slow accumulation of points makes for a terrible reward system considering two points: the slots are tight, so you really have to keep putting money in the machines to earn points, and after about six months of inactivity on a player account the points accumulated are wiped from your account and you are forced to start at zero again.

One final word about the player's club would be that the free slot dollars given to players in the mail are not very generous. After gambling with a couple thousand dollars in a short time period the highest they have ever sent me was $17 in free money.



The gaming atmosphere is actually pretty nice. It's very clean and there seems to be more than ample ventilation as there doesn't seem to be a heavy smoke fog surrounding the floor. The lighting is low, but sufficient.



There's no hotel to speak of and all the parking is outside. If you're not a fan of the valet service there are buses that will pick you up from a few waiting booths throughout the vast expanse of the two main parking lots.



To be honest I wanted to give the restaurants a rating of 3, giving them the benefit of the doubt, as I have only eaten in the cafeteria and the bar upstairs, but then I remembered that there are no free drinks on the gaming floor aside from pop/soda and coffee. Bottled water, draft beer and any other alcohol of any kind is going to cost you more than just a tip. I'm not sure what bottled water costs, but everything else is at least $2.25. The cafeteria is reminiscent of a high school eatery with equal selection. The bar on the upper floor however is decent.

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Ok here's the deal... You people from Ohio are just plain jealous. I am a local here in Erie and I am sick and tired of hearing how bad it is at Presque Isle. There is an art in knowing how to play the slots. Yes, there are some very tight machines, but that is how they make money, duh?!? The secret is to know when to get off a machine when you've stuck a $100.00 in it.



Most people I see will play it til it's gone. Get a grip people! If it ain't paying off, jump off and go to the next machine. You also need to know when your bank roll is gone, don't go back and spend your winnings. People, you need to have a seperate pocket for your bankroll and one for your winnings.

Last year alone Las Vegas raked in some 18 billion dollars. All from slots. Do your homework people. Well we know you have a computer if you're reading this. Find some help on-line for playing the slots. Go to ebay for example.

I think what we have here in Erie is just fine! All the noises and happenings just like the casinos in AC and LV. And it's only minutes from my house!! I feel fortunate. Yes they could use a hotel on the property, but there are 4 within 2 minutes from the casino and dozens more just 5 minutes away on I-90. For people reading this... Go ahead, make a trip here, we have a wonderful beach and amusement park. Do your homework and go to a website explaining more about Erie.

Me & Sweetie went early New Year's Eve; we were post-holiday shopping in Erie & dropped in to see what it was like. We often go to the Seneca bingo hall/slots in Irving [15min drive], occasionally head out to Salamanca or Niagara Falls [Fallsview our favorite].

Service was good & friendly [& pumped for the occasion?]. Quick P. Club signup, came out ahead on the Free Play. Regular slots were tight for us, but video poker was a winner for me.

'Table' games are attractive video terminals; didn't wait out the crowd at the $2 BJ, so I'd like to see more low-stakes [rules seemed fair]; lost at Roulette [who doesn't?].

There is no hotel/spa/etc. attached, so 'Amenities' is n.a. We ate before we got there, so no comment on food, but I was disappointed to be paying for my drinks. it affected my tipping.

Ah, the Atmosphere... biggest attraction for any casiino [after previous wins, of course]. It reminded me very much of Salamanca a few years back. Generally dark [some LV casinos do this to hide the dirt, but Erie is clean] with sparkle around the edges. Service was present but not obtrusive. Unfortunately, it lacks sufficient gaming options to draw me back frequently.

All-in-all, I'd rate it far above the bingo hall; not quite up to the Niagara or Allegany Indian casinos, certainly not up to AC or LV standards [next-door competition does wonders, eh?].

Sweetie & I keep talking about going back since it's only an hour's drive, but haven't quite got around to it yet [Salamanca's only an hour and a half ;) ]. On balance, I enjoyed it.

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To the Management -- We play here several times a month - keep coming back hoping for improvements - slots are tighter than the Mountaineer - Salamenca has a greater variety of slots with better payout - the casino is convenient to our location in Ohio but is getting too costly - if Ohio gets casinos this place is in for a lot of competition - recommendation is to level the playing field and loosen the slots up - I and many of my friends don't beleive the phony announcements made that so many people are winning jackpots.

These are the tightest slots around. Not a lot of popular machines. Save the money you would lose here and go to Vegas. There are some people who win some money at presque isle but even blind squirrels find nuts.

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This was my first trip here and I thought it was alot like Mountain, dark and depressing. People like to be able to play alot before we give up or win . GIve us more play. I loved the buffet it was great.

I just can't believe the slots can be this tight and still have so many people coming. All of my favorite games are jacked up to nickels or quarters. If you are a penny slot player, I wouldn't advise coming here.

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