11 a.m.:

Two hours after the doors of the Hoosier Park casino were officially opened to the public for the first time, the sounds and bright lights coming off the slot machines were matched in intensity by the wide grins from Hoosier Park staff.

“It's so beautiful (in the casino), I think I want to cry,” Kurt Wilson, Hoosier Park chief financial officer, was heard to say of the sight of a packed house at such an early hour.

At least 1,000 people had come through the doors by 11 a.m.

“It's fabulous, I'm still walking about 10 feet off the ground,” noted Jeff Smith, general manager of Centaur Gaming.

The size of the crowd that started lining up three-wide at 6 a.m. in the Hoosier Park parking lot to await the ribbon-cutting ceremony far exceeded officials’ expectations.

Two hours after the doors were opened, nearly every seat at every slot machine had someone in it. The casino bar was open, with its lighted steps and colored accent lights glowing blue.

Popular themes cried out from the electronic slot machines to patrons, according to their tastes. At the “Star Wars” machine, players could keep their eyes on the machine or turn their sights upward, where the original 1977 classic film played.

The only complaint to be heard — other than the long wait outside for the doors to open and the crowded casino floor — was that the air conditioning was a little too cold for some.

Dozens of men wearing dark suits and ear pieces patrolled the floor, looking for trouble. But, according to officials, there had been no problems as noon approached.

By Quintin HarlanTwo hours after the doors of the Hoosier Park casino were officially opened to the public for the first time, the sounds and bright lights coming off the slot machines were matched in intensity by the wide grins from Hoosier Park staff.

“It's so beautiful (in the casino), I think I want to cry,” Kurt Wilson, Hoosier Park chief financial officer, was heard to say of the sight of a packed house at such an early hour.

At least 1,000 people had come through the doors by 11 a.m.

“It's fabulous, I'm still walking about 10 feet off the ground,” noted Jeff Smith, general manager of Centaur Gaming.