New northern Ontario casino set to open
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The Cascades Casino is six days away from opening its doors.
Slot machines are being given a final inspection, dealers are being trained at the blackjack tables, the restaurant staff is learning the menu and the security staff is getting familiar with the layout and design.
Card table at new Cascades Casino in North Bay. Mar.3/22 (Eric Taschner/CTV Northern Ontario)
Casino staff gave CTV News a tour of the facility Thursday morning.
"It’s been a long haul. But right now we’re pumped," said Rob Mitchell, a Gateway Casinos spokesperson. "We’re ready and we’re crossing the finish line."
Hiring is mostly completed and the casino said most of the employees will be local hires. The $31-million casino will employ 200 people.
The 39,000 square foot casino is equipped with 300 machines, 10 electronic tables, six blackjack and roulette tables and an adjacent restaurant called 'The Match Eatery.'
Slot machines at North Bay's new Cascades Casino. Mar. 3/22 (Eric Taschner/CTV Northern Ontario)
A bar overlooks the gaming floor and there’s a place called the 'Play Smart Centre' to teach customers about responsible gambling.
"It’s really a unique design. The place is entirely purposed for entertainment," said Mitchell.
Casino officials want to hit home that the facility is not just for the high rollers but for everyone.
"You don’t need to be specifically a gamer to come here and have a good time," he said. "Based anecdotally on what folks in town are telling me, we’re going to have a lineup Wednesday."
Inside the restaurant, there are TVs set up for sports games, it can host live local music and has a large projector screen that can also be set up.
There’s also a room, called 'The Bud Room,' which can be used to host small gatherings or meetings.
An outdoor patio can seat guests as well. It has gas fireplaces and on hot summer days, misting machines can cool customers while they sit outside.
"You can feel the electricity in the air from our staff right now," said James Sweeney, the restaurant’s general manager. "The last few weeks we’ve been doing tastings to allow all our staff to try our food."
Construction has been quite a journey, said Mitchell. It started at the end of May 2019 and was delayed during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
North Bay Mayor Al McDonald is happy to see the facility complete and said it was a goal of city council goal to get a casino built in North Bay.
"There’s profit sharing. We’re going to get a percentage of the sales, which is substantial," McDonald said. "It’s estimated to be between $1 and $2 million."
The casino will help the tourism sector, he said, saying people will travel to the city to hit the slots.
"There’s also a lot of interest in the property around Pinewood Park Drive. So we’re going to see further development," McDonald said. "This checks all the boxes that we’re trying to hit when growing our city."
For the first little while, the casino will not be open 24/7 but that could change based on visitation numbers, as officials dream of hitting a jackpot with the community and its citizens.
