Hundreds of people got a sneak preview of the Rideau Carleton Raceway Casino Wednesday night.

The casino opens for business on Friday.

Its 1,200 slot machines will likely generate $130 million in revenue a year.

The casino is expected to breath new life into the sagging horse racing industry in Eastern Ontario.

The horse track will receive 20% of the gambling proceeds from the slot machines. Track chairman Bob Faskin says "this opening ensures horse racing will prosper in the national capital".

As an added attraction, the track plans to offer, for the first time, winter horse racing for casino customers.

One regular visitor to the Hull gambling house expects to stay on this side of the river in the future. She says the new casino is more convenient.

But Ron Barbaro of the Ontario Casino Corporation thinks the two casinos will compliment each other.

He says the Rideau Carleton Raceway Casino is strictly slot machines. It does not have gaming tables.