It could attract customers who play the slots just 60 miles away at Wheeling Island Casino. But Wheeling Island's president welcomes The Rivers to the market.

"We think this is actually an opportunity for customers who haven't had a gaming experience to see what they have to offer," Simms said.

And if they like what they see, the hope is they'll eventually visit Wheeling Island Casino. Simms fully expects some of the Island's regular customers to give Pittsburgh’s new slots a try. But he also expects they'll be back to play in Wheeling.

"I would say there's more to running a good casino business than just a new building. As is the case with the meadows. It's a very small part of the entire operation. We're very proud of what we have here. We believe we have the best product," he said.

As PA’s casino market continues to expand and the slot discussion heats up in Ohio, Simms said Wheeling Island is relying on the image it's already built to hold on to its customer base.

"We believe that we have a strong enough reputation in Pennsylvania and plus what we've done in the Ohio markets to ensure that we're going to thrive as a long term position," he said.