Ohio's fourth casino, Horseshoe Cincinnati, will open March 4, 2013

CINCINNATI - An opening date of March 4, 2013 has been set for Ohio's fourth casino, Horseshoe Cincinnati.

The casino, located in downtown Cincinnati, will be the last of four voter-approved full-service casinos to open in the state in less than one year.

Horseshoe Cleveland was the first of the bunch to open in May of 2012.

Construction at the site, which began in February 2011, is in its final stages. "We expect final work inside and out to wrap up next month," said Steve Rosenthal, a principal of Rock Gaming and a leader on the casino's design and construction team. "To date, more than 2,000 construction workers have contributed to make this development a first-class destination."

The Horseshoe team will hold a pre-opening controlled demonstration on Feb. 27 before Casino Control Commissioners and staff.

"Horseshoe Cincinnati is a huge new addition to Downtown," said Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory. "It’s putting thousands of Cincinnatians to work and it will open the door for new business development in the surrounding area. The casino opening is an exciting way to kick off 2013 in Cincinnati."

Located on 23 acres in the northeast corner of downtown, the $400 million urban casino development spans more than 400,000 square feet and includes full-service gaming, sit-down and casual dining options and onsite parking.

The casino will also offer nearly 33,000 square feet of multi-purpose and special function space for social, corporate, private and live entertainment events.