With a snip of a ribbon, poker games were officially under way at Wheeling Island Racetrack & Gaming Center Friday morning.

Both Wheeling Island and Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort were given the official OK to start poker play Friday.

About 80 new employees at Wheeling Island began their first eight-hour shift after a 10 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony. Bob Marshall, president of Wheeling Island Racetrack, said the poker room will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Earlier in the morning, people lined up waiting to put on their poker faces and win big. Some, like Leroy Waddell and his wife, drove from Columbus for the debut. Others, like Terry Kadan, came from Pittsburgh to be one of the first to play cards at the facility.

While most of the focus was on Friday's unveiling, there is still much more to come, Marshall said. Construction continues on the main gaming floor, where they will have games like craps, roulette and blackjack. Marshall said if all goes well, opening the main gaming floor could come as early as Jan. 1, 2008.

With table gaming under way and the casino at Mountaineer already running round-the-clock, competition has already been in place in other parts of the region like Atlantic City, N.J., Buffalo, N.Y., Detroit, Mich., and across the border in Niagara Falls.

Still, many people from across the region traveled to the Ohio Valley. At Wheeling Island, every hotel room was booked for the weekend and many guests said the poker room will keep them coming back time and time again.

At Mountaineer, workers were gearing up for a 4 p.m. poker room opening. There, 298 positions have been created, including between 176 to 197 dealers, 17 floor managers, three shift managers and one poker manager. Another 75 people have been hired for security, food and beverage service and housekeeping.

Officials at Mountaineer said when games like craps and roulette get under way, they expect about 400 more jobs to be created.

Friday, WTOV9 will be live from Mountaineer at 5:30 p.m. to take a look at the economic impact in Hancock County.

Stay with NEWS9 and WTOV9.com for continuing coverage.

-Renee Cardelli, Jasmine Lo, Natalie Pasquarella & Jackie Cain, NEWS9