After undergoing a $40 million expansion that saw the addition of a 117-room hotel complete with a fitness center, grand ballroom, outdoor terrace, indoor swimming pool and more than 3,000 sq ft of meeting space, the new-look Saratoga Casino Hotel has officially opened to the public.

The New York casino operated by Saratoga Harness Racing announced its redevelopment plans in late-March in anticipation of increased competition from the coming Rivers Casino And Resort In Mohawk Harbor, which is expected to open early next year only 25 miles away in Schenectady complete with a 163-room hotel and a 50,000 sq ft gaming floor offering 1,150 slots.

Previously known as Saratoga Casino And Raceway, the 75-year-old Saratoga Casino Hotel in Saratoga Springs moreover now offers a Morton’s The Steakhouse restaurant, which is the only such franchise within approximately 150 miles, as well as live harness racing and an updated estate of 1,700 video slots that it is hoped will draw an increasing amount of tour groups and locals.

“This project really solidifies our place as a top entertainment destination in the region,” Rita Cox from Saratoga Casio Hotel told local television station WTEN after an official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday. “We are now a place to go away for the weekend or a staycation and another way to help the [Saratoga Convention And Tourism Bureau] and local chambers bring visitors in from all over the northeast.”