The Ohio Casino Control Commission has approved an opening date of March 4, 2013, for the Cincinnati Horseshoe Casino. This is the fourth and final casino that was approved by voters in 2009. The Cincinnati casino is expected to employ approximately 1,700 people and will include 2,000 slot machines, 85 table games and a 31-table World Series of Poker room. There will be three restaurants, a buffet, a quick-casual café, a VIP players’ lounge, a coffee shop and a bar.

In other news, developers of the Cincinnati casino awarded $54.8 million, or 37.3 percent, of its construction contracts to minority- and women-owned businesses. The same developers awarded $47.1 million, or 43.5 percent, of its construction contracts to minority- and women-owned businesses for the Cleveland casino.