Bigger Gateway casino at Western Fair? Bring it on: Area businesses
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An expanded Gateway Casino at Western Fair will help build on east London’s status as London’s entertainment playground, east London businesses said Friday.
Gateway Casino and Entertainment Ltd. plans a multimillion-dollar investment to expand its gambling operation at Western Fair District into a full casino, ending its plans to build a $75-million casino on Wonderland Road near Highway 401.
That plan is supported by retailers in the area who say they welcome more traffic and a higher entertainment profile for the city’s east end.
“Keeping the casino there keeps activity in the east end and that is great for everyone,” said Martha Leach, manager of 100 Kellogg Lane that bills itself as the largest entertainment complex in Canada.
“They call this the entertainment district. This is fantastic news. It attracts people and not just gamblers.”
100 Kellogg Lane is adding a Hard Rock Hotel on site and Leach envisions it will be busy with casino clients.
“It will only get better and better. It just adds something for people to do here.”
100 Kellogg Lane, the site of the former Kellogg cereal factory, has become home to bars, restaurants, events, a large indoor playground, museum and escape rooms, joining Western Fair District as a sports and event space.
“The more people come down here to see sites and take in some shops, the better. The more attractions will help revitalize the area,” said Erin Basacco, manager at Grow and Bloom Co., a flower shop on Dundas Street near the fairgrounds.
Some retailers have struggled through COVID, even closing, and Gateway’s expansion of its facility at Western Fair may help businesses return, said Sean Hannam, owner of Artisan Bakery.
“It could be good for the area. With COVID and construction some businesses have closed. This could be good for us.”
Gamblers, however, were split Friday on whether they want a new casino or to remain at Western Fair. Some like the convenience and familiarity of the current casino but others would welcome a sparkling new showcase.
“I’d rather be at Wonderland. It could have been the place, it was big, there could have been a hotel there,” said Richard Lauzon as he left the Western Fair casino.
“We travel all over to casinos and Western Fair is not the best. All I know is I have lost a lot of money here.”
Dianne Byczok was seated outside the casino on a bench after an afternoon playing the slot machines with friend Ellen Egan, saying she has traveled extensively to other casinos to gamble and she is happy to stay at Western Fair.
“The traffic on Wonderland is atrocious. It gets traffic from the highway (401). Here is much better,” she said.
“It could bring a lot of spinoff businesses here ,too. That would be nice.”
The Starlight Casino was expected to be built at 3334 and 3354 Wonderland Rd., and work began clearing the site and demolishing existing buildings in January 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic hit a few months later, stopping all work.
It was an ambitious plan for a 10,000-square-metre casino with 900 slot machines and 40 gaming tables that was expected to employ about 1,000 people and generate revenue of $4.5 million for the city.
The gambling industry is still reeling from the pandemic that temporarily closed gambling sites across the Canada and caused greatly reduced crowds during the last two years, forcing Gateway to rethink its London gaming strategy.
