The new Hollywood Park Casino officially opened to the public Friday with Vegas flavor and lots of customers excited about big grand-opening promotions.

It’s the first of many promised five-star entertainment, hospitality and dining venues to accessorize the Forum and the coming Los Angeles Rams stadium in Inglewood.

The open-air gambling floor was packed Friday afternoon — partially because of a $1 million giveaway raffle for those who signed up for loyalty-rewards cards.

Most Los Angeles-area card clubs have either recently remodeled to appeal to Las Vegas and tribal casino customers, or are in the process of doing so. They hope modern renovations will attract new players, making visits to local card clubs less intimidating and widening the market.

“It’s as nice as anything in Vegas,” said Ken Barden, who had jerk chicken for lunch on the marble-topped bar at the new Hollywood Park Casino’s Raise Lounge. “It’s terrific, beautiful.”

Barden considered bets on horse races as he ate and talked with a friend who had ordered the lamb entree. The casino has a premium simulcast off-track wagering room. Huge TV monitors are everywhere and the bar looks out onto a floor of 125 card tables.

“This is a good place to meet people, and it’s very clean,” said Barden’s lunch companion Joe Blunt. “The food is really gourmet.”

The wide-open, crisp, gray-and-white rooms are heavily accented with icicle chandeliers, art, plush red wall coverings and mirrors.

The old Hollywood Park Casino still stands next door, in testament to a prior era when peach-colored walls and neon accents were in fashion.

Not traditional card club

The traditional card club model is a stuffy room full of focused players who shun outside diversions. Now, bringing in nongambling diversions is in vogue. The sports bar and restaurant at Hollywood Park Casino take up nearly half the space and is the first thing visitors see when they walk in the door.

The Gardens Casino in Hawaiian Gardens completed a $90 million Vegas-style remodel this year. It’s nearly twice as large as the new Inglewood venue with conference rooms, secluded VIP areas, art and sculptures, and a massive kitchen offering various ethnic specialties.

“Most of the card clubs were built back in the 1980s and the state-of-the-art technology has changed since then,” said Ron Sarabi, general manager of the Gardens Casino. “Now, we have cellphone chargers on the table. It’s a relaxing atmosphere, not intimidating. There are 220 flat-screen TVs and we have close to 1,000 surveillance cameras.”

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Like Hollywood Park, the Gardens Casino sports bar is large and has a decorative bar, high tables and mirrors.

“Think about Las Vegas. Thirty years ago they only had 10 casinos. Now they have hundreds,” Sarabi said. “The business increased in huge increments. I think (Los Angeles-area card clubs) are helping each other grow the industry.”

The Crystal Casino in Compton and the Commerce Casino already feature attached hotels. Last year, the Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens added a hotel, fitness center and other resort-style amenities.

Larry Flynt casinos sprucing up

Larry Flynt, the pornography, strip club and media mogul who already owns Gardena’s Hustler Casino, plans to ultimately add a hotel adjacent to his new Lucky Lady Casino in Gardena.

Flynt is currently remodeling the Lucky Lady. Since taking over the Normandie earlier this year, he had the entire casino thoroughly cleaned and employees retrained to offer higher-quality customer service. The entire casino is being remodeled in sections.

When the Lucky Lady is finished, it will have all-new private VIP rooms, a new gambling floor and more elegant decor.

Since the Gardens, Lucky Lady and Hollywood Park renovations began, business has increased at all the clubs by 15 to 30 percent, managers said.

In September, the Gardens, Hustler and Bicycle clubs began their first joint promotion, creating the largest poker tournament in Southern California history. The Southern California Poker Championships began Sept. 18 at the Gardens Casino and continued there through the month as top players moved on to more advanced tournaments. In October, the championships moved to the Bicycle Casino and then to the Hustler Casino through the rest of the month. It will move back to Commerce and Bicycle casinos in November. The grand-prize winner will be announced Dec. 15 and is guaranteed a new Mercedes-Benz and at least $500,000.

Hollywood Park opened its doors several weeks ago, before Friday’s grand opening, to work out any kinks with the new facilities. Business increased even without advertising, said Hollywood Park Casino General Manager Deven Kumar. The casino is now embarking on a big advertising blitz on billboards, television, radio and social media.

“All the regulars are still here, and we also see a lot of new faces,” Kumar said. “I hope we’re expanding the market to attract new people. This is a really social environment.”